Jobs
by Slayer70
Summary: Sequel to A New Beginning. My version of Season 7. Chapter 24 is up! The battle against the First comes to a close due to the amulet. But a strange twist of events causes something unexpected to happen.
1. Jobs

Jobs

Episode 1

Summers' House:

            "Giles!" Buffy called, "I'm leaving for work!"

            Giles emerged at the top of the stairs.

            "Alright, Buffy," he replied.

            "Have fun with the girls!" she called before shutting the door behind her.

            Buffy walked to her car. She had finally taken her driver's test and passed. She even got her own car. She had a job now too. She was the counselor at the new Sunnydale High now. It was her job to talk to the students and help them with their problems.  And now it was the first day of the new school year. 

            Giles came down the stairs. He hadn't found a place to stay. He was the only one that hadn't. The house was pretty full. Giles, Willow, and Spike were all staying there. The Watcher's Council had been completely destroyed, so Giles was out of a job. He had been spending his days looking for a job or training the potentials with the help of Spike.

            Willow had gone back to U.C. Sunnydale. They let her back in because her grades had been so high. She still practiced magik, but hadn't gone evil anymore. She also lived with Buffy. 

            Spike was the one of two vampires on earth with a soul. He lived in Buffy's basement. Of course, he was only able to leave the house at night or he would burn. Spike would help Giles train the slayers-in-training at night. It was a tough job training all those girls, but someone had to do it.

            Xander's construction company had rebuilt Sunnydale High. He had earned a lot of money doing that job. He was now living in an apartment somewhere in Sunnydale and had a brand new car. He would occasionally help train the slayers-in-training.

            Anya had left Sunnydale. She didn't give anyone reasons to why she left. She just told them she was leaving and so she did. They all hoped that she wouldn't continue doing vengeance, but it was her passion and she couldn't just give that up. She left right after the spring apocalypse. 

            Wesley headed back to Los Angeles to continue fighting on Angel's side. He was lucky to still be alive after his encounter with the mutant vampires. He and Faith were tracking them down throughout the world. In England, they found a hideout. Something had exploded and killed Faith. Wesley had been pretty injured, but managed to get away alright. He had made it back to Sunnydale in the spring. 

Cemetery:

            Buffy hated it. She had risked her life in fighting the supposed First Evil. Unfortunately, she had defeated something else, something not as old, not as powerful. She was told by a supposed angel that all evil would be destroyed if she had killed this thing. Something was messing with her and her friends. 

           She was in the cemetery patrolling. Giles wanted her to patrol on her own tonight. Even though she was twenty-three, she still obeyed Giles. It wasn't like he was a watcher though. The Council had been completely destroyed last spring. 

            "Slayer!" someone shouted, snapping her out of her thoughts.

            Buffy knew better than to reply. She looked around the cemetery to see what it was. She gripped her stake tightly. Buffy was not afraid of what this thing may be. She had faced death several times and thousands of other horrible things.

            The bushes nearby began to rustle and out climbed a vampire. Buffy smiled. She was glad that it was just a vampire. She wasn't in the mood to face a demon tonight. Her grip loosened on the stake and she slid it back into her pocket.

            "Big mistake to come looking for me," she told the vampire.

            "I've come to prove to all vampires that I can, in fact, kill a slayer," he spoke.

            This vampire reminded her of Spike. His black hair was slicked back with gel. He was normal height and normal build. She knew that she could kill him easily.

            "We'll see about that," Buffy replied.

            The vampire came at her. He tried to punch her several times, but couldn't hit her. She just kept dodging and blocking his hits. She finally decided that she had played around enough. She slid her stake out of her pocket. In one quick motion, the stake pierced the vampire's heart. He exploded into dust. She brushed the dust out of her hair and continued walking.

Dublin, Ireland:

            Anyanka had arrived in Ireland earlier in the day. Her vengeance job had taken her all over the world. She had been very pleased with the work she had been doing lately, helping distressed woman throughout the world.

            She had left Sunnydale a few weeks after the apocalypse. She was so relieved to get out of there. Of course she had known that evil had not been defeated. The First still lived somewhere. She hadn't told Giles or Buffy. They would figure it out eventually on their own. 

            Anyanka was walking down a busy street in Dublin, Ireland. It was the middle of the afternoon and no one seemed to be calling out for vengeance. She was extremely bored. There was nothing at all to do. She didn't even feel like shopping, which was strange. 

            As she walked by one store, an old man bumped into her. 

            "Watch it!" she yelled at him.

            "From beneath you, it devours," the man said, then continued down the street.

            "I've heard that before," Anyanka said aloud, "But where?"

            She went on her way, still pondering on where she had heard that saying before. 

            "I've got it!" she exclaimed after walking around for a bit, "That was the saying back in Sunnydale. It had something to do with the First Evil."

Buffy's House:

            "How was patrol tonight?" Giles asked.

            "Same as usual, boring," Buffy replied.

            "Vampires?" he questioned.

            "Yeah."

            "Just some wacko vamp that thought he could beat me."

            "Don't underestimate their strength."

            "Giles, I've come across worse things than that."

            "I know, Buffy, just be careful."

            "I will, Giles. Goodnight."

            Buffy went upstairs to her room. It was late and she had to go to work tomorrow. It was tough having a job and being the slayer. 

Sunnydale High Basement:

            "You didn't think that I would let you off that easily did you?" Spike asked.

            "What do you want with me?" Spike questioned.

            Spike had left Buffy's basement and was drawn to the high school basement. Now he was talking to himself.

            "You are all part of the plan. I need you to get rid of the slayers," Spike said.

            "I can't do that," Spike replied.

            "Have you ever seen a real vampire?" Spike questioned.

            "I am a real vampire," Spike replied.

            "Ha! You are a vampire, not a real one. If you do not get someone, I will use you to bring forth this vampire. And you will tremble in fear at his sight," Spike informed.

            Spike didn't answer the other him. Suddenly, it transformed into Buffy. 

            "And trust me," Buffy said, "You don't want to be the one to bring forth this vampire."

            "Leave me alone!" Spike shouted, grasping his head.

            "I can't do that, Spike," Buffy replied, "Go, and bring back someone else!"  
            Spike ran out of the basement, still grasping his head. He busted open the basement door and ran right into Buffy, who was coming back from the faculty room. They both fell to the floor.

            "What the hell, Spike? What the hell are you doing here? And why are you coming out of the basement?"

            "Buffy…help…me!" Spike shouted, sitting up. He was still holding his head. 

            "What's wrong with you?" Buffy questioned.

            "It's here!" he yelled.

            "What is?" she asked.

            "It's here in the school. Its evil!" he shouted and turned back towards the basement. 

He tripped and fell down the stairs. Buffy stood up and ran down the stairs after him. Spike was out cold. While she was down here, Buffy decided to check everything out. 

            She was guided through the lost corridors by the dim light. The basement was like one giant maze. If she wasn't careful, she would get lost. She wandered around for a while, until she came to a giant steel door. 

            "Why would there be a steel door down here?" she asked aloud.

            She grasped the crack and tried to pry the door open. It wouldn't budge. She began pounding on it. No luck. She turned around and began looking for something to pry the door open with. No luck either.

            She heard footsteps in the darkness. But she couldn't see what it was.

            "Who's there?" Buffy questioned.

            "This is no place for a little girl," it said.

            "You have no idea who you're dealing with, do you?" Buffy questioned.

            "You have become lost within this place. Now you will die!" it shouted.

            Out of the shadows walked a giant demon, carrying a sword. It stood about six foot tall and had a large horn protruding from it's forehead. 

            "Oh, scary," Buffy said sarcastically.

            Buffy was a little scared since she didn't have a weapon to fight with. The demon swung the sword. Buffy ducked and the sword barely missed her head. She couldn't take this demon in this small area and without a weapon. She turned and ran to the exit.

            "Running from me?" the demon questioned, "No one runs from me!"

            Buffy continued running through the twisted corridors, the demon followed. She made it back to the stairs. Spike was still lying there, out cold. She couldn't just leave him there for the demon to get. So she picked him up and made her way out of the basement.

            She burst through the door, carrying Spike. The demon trudged up the stairs after her. She ran down the hallway and into a classroom. Unfortunately for Buffy, there was a class going on.

            "Can I help you, miss?" the teacher asked, "Oh my god!"

            "Sorry 'bout this," Buffy replied, "Could you just keep an eye on him?"

            She placed Spike's unconscious body on the floor and ran out of the classroom. 

She still hadn't found a weapon to fight the demon.

            "Puny girl," the demon said as he emerged from the basement.

            "Couldn't you have just waited down there for me?" Buffy asked, sarcastically.

            It ran at her, sword raised. Buffy tripped it as it ran towards her. It fell to the ground, the sword sliding across the floor and stopping at the wall.

            "Somebody's in trouble," Buffy smirked as she picked up the sword.

            The demon stared in horror as she brought the sword down. She sliced it's head clean off. The demon didn't dust or turn to slime, the body just stayed there.

            "I wonder how much it'll cost for the removal of this thing," Buffy said aloud. She dropped the sword and went back to the classroom where she left Spike. He was still lying on the floor.

            "Excuse me, miss," the teacher began, "What is going on?"

            "Sorry, love to chat," Buffy said, "But can't."

            She picked up Spike and left the classroom. That's when it hit her. She couldn't just walk out of the building in the middle of the day, carrying Spike. For one, he would burn. Two, there was no two.

            She had no choice but to put him back down in the basement. She walked down the stairs and laid Spike against some crates.

            "You'll have to stay here," Buffy spoke, laying him down.

London, England:

            London was a beautiful place. Jake and Cindy had escaped the Council explosion and decided to stay in England for a bit. They agreed that they would return to Sunnydale eventually. They both were sure that everyone thought them to be dead. It didn't matter right now though. They were too busy enjoying themselves on their vacation. 

Unfortunately, they kept hearing the saying 'from beneath you, it devours'. Neither knew what that meant, but Cindy had remembered hearing it from Spike a few times before. It was really starting to bug them, since they couldn't figure out what it meant. They had spent a lot of their time searching for the meaning.

            They were walking down a crowded London street. Jake was pretty bored, but Cindy seemed to be enjoying herself. She had gotten a lot of shopping done. Jake personally thought it was unnecessary shopping. 

            "Hey!" Cindy called, "A fortune teller!"

            She stopped in front of the tent. Instead of waiting for Jake to catch up, she walked inside. 

            "Hello," the lady inside said, "Are you here to have your fortune read?"

            "Yes," Cindy said, handing the lady five dollars.

            "Sit down and I will tell you," the lady informed.

            Cindy took a seat. The lady began looking into the crystal ball. She was very serious and concentrating hard.

            "Ah yes," she began, "I see danger in your future."

            "Danger?" Cindy questioned.

            "You will return to the mouth of hell soon," the lady continued, "There you will face a great evil and death."

            "What?" Cindy questioned, "How can that be?"

            "I do not question," the lady said, "I just tell of your future."

            "Fine!" Cindy shouted, "Goodbye!"

            Just before she exited the tent, the lady called her back.

            "I have one more thing to tell you," the lady called.

            Cindy turned and faced the woman.

            "From beneath you…it devours," the lady said and disappeared.

            Cindy was left, confused, standing in the place where the tent used to be.

            "Cindy," Jake called, "What was that about?"

            "The lady said that I would return to the mouth of hell and face a great evil and death," she informed, "Then she said that phrase, 'from beneath you, it devours'."

            "That's weird," Jake said.

            "I agree," she replied.

Buffy's House:

            "Giles, something scared Spike this morning," Buffy informed, "He came barreling out of that basement at the high school."

            "Why was he even at the school?" Giles questioned.

            "That's a good question," Buffy replied.

            Buffy had gotten back from work and immediately told Giles what had happened.

            "When I went to look around the basement, I was attacked by a huge sword-carrying demon," she continued, "I managed to knock the sword from its hands and sliced its head off."

            "Thanks for the details Buffy," Giles informed, sarcastically.

            "Just thought you may have wanted to know," she said, "You are my watcher."

            "Buffy, we've been over this before. The Watcher's Council has been destroyed," Giles began, "I am no longer a watcher, for the Council no longer exists."

            "I know, I know," she said, "You tell me like everyday."

            "Okay, Buffy," Giles said, backtracking to the previous topic, "What did you do with Spike?"

            "I left him in the basement."

            "Well he should be safe there until he comes to."

Sunnydale High Basement:

            "You are all part of the plan," Spike informed.

            "I can't!" Spike yelled, "I won't!"

            "You can and you will!" Spike replied.

            "What are you?" Spike asked.  

            "I am you," he answered.

            "No!" Spike shouted, "That's not possible!"

            "Of course it is!" Spike smirked.

            "How?" Spike asked.

            "It doesn't matter," Spike replied, "You're job is to kill these precious humans. Turn them all into my army!"

            "Do it yourself!" Spike yelled.

            "I would," he began, "If I could. I cannot take solid form. You will do this, or you will suffer unbearable torment."

            "I will not!"

            "You will!" 

            "What is this about?"

            Spike transformed into Buffy.

            "It's all about the power!"


	2. Attack of the Monks

Attack of the Monks

Episode 2

Buffy's House:

            "Buffy," Giles called.

            Buffy emerged from the basement. Giles guessed that she had been helping Spike out, since he'd been living down there.

            "What Giles?" she questioned.

            "I have to leave Sunnydale," he began.

            "What? Why?" she asked.

            "I have located another potential," he continued.

            "Well, won't she just head here?" Buffy questioned.

            "That's the problem," Giles went on, "She doesn't know that she's a potential."

            "Oh."

            "Where is this potential?" Buffy asked.

            "Germany," Giles said, "I will be back shortly."

            "Goodbye, Giles."

            "Goodbye," he said, and with that was gone. 

London, England:

            "This place is so beautiful," Cindy said, "It's all old and stuff."

            "Yeah, I know," Jake replied.

            Cindy and Jake had decided to stay in London for a little longer. They were going to have a little trip around Europe. The next stop was Rome, Italy. Their flight left the next morning. They had decided to spend the day exploring old London.

            "You know what," Cindy said.

            "What's that?" Jake replied.

            "There is no one else in the castle but us."

            "Why do you say that?"

            "Because I haven't seen anyone at all."

            "Hey, you're right. But it is better that we're by ourselves. We get our own private tour."

            They walked into a room where there was several wax figures dressed in robes. The eyes of every single one of them were covered by the hoods of their robes. They brandished a variety of weapons from axes to daggers.

            "This is weird," Jake said.

            "Why's that?" Cindy replied.

            "I never knew that these kinds of people lived in the Middle Ages," he answered.

            Cindy looked around at some of them. She carefully looked around the big circle of hooded figures that were surrounding them. She stopped in horror.          

            "What's wrong?" Jake questioned.

            "That one just moved," Cindy whispered.

            "What? They're just wax. They can't move," Jake informed.

            That's when all of the hooded figures stepped off the fake stands. They held their weapons, ready to attack. 

            "And they're just wax," Cindy said sarcastically.

            The hooded figures slowly walked towards them. They didn't say anything which was strange to the two. The figures were closing in on them.

            "This may be the end," Jake said.

            "Maybe," Cindy began, "But we should go down fighting."

            One rushed her. It swung his axe, but Cindy ducked and tripped him. It fell and the axe flew from its hands. Jake caught it in midair.

            "Looks like someone has a weapon," he smirked and swung it at the two nearest figures. Their heads flew from their shoulders. 

            Then, Jake brought the axe down on the one Cindy had tripped. Three down, and a lot more to go. Cindy clothes-lined the next two and Jake sliced their heads off. Cindy managed to pick up two daggers. The next figure to attack her got a dagger in the chest. 

            Jake bent down and removed the hood from the head of the one that Cindy had just killed. He had no eyes. Instead there was what looked like carvings. They were very strange looking carvings too. He picked up the axe and killed three more with one swing. There was only one left and Cindy seemed to be handling it very well. 

            She gave it a roundhouse kick, knocking it to the floor. It grabbed her by the legs, causing her to fall too. Both of them were up quickly. Cindy still held the two daggers, the figure held nothing, but was still fighting. Jake ran over and swung the axe, but the figure ducked. He turned and went after Jake. This gave Cindy the opening she needed. She tossed the dagger. It went spinning and landed right in the figure's back, puncturing his heart. He died instantly.

            "That was strange," Jake said.

            "It was," Cindy agreed.

            "It's a good thing that you're a slayer," Jake added.

            "Yeah, I guess so," she replied, "We should head back to Sunnydale and let Giles know about this."

            "Oh goodie," Jake said, "Back to the Hellmouth."

Frankfurt, Germany:

            Giles had arrived in Germany a few hours after boarding the airplane in LA. Now he was walking the streets of Frankfurt. It was a very busy time of day there. Everyone seemed to be in a big hurry. Giles had no idea where he could locate this potential slayer. He didn't even know where to start. 

            "Giles!" someone called.

            Startled, Giles spun around to see a familiar face. It was Anya. He wondered what she was doing all the way over here. 

            "Anya, it's so good to see you," Giles began.

            "You too," she replied.

            "What are you doing here in Germany?" he questioned.

            "I…umm…yea…business," she answered.

            "I see."

            "What are you doing here?" she asked.

            "There is a potential slayer here. I must find her. Do you have any idea where she may be?"

            "Actually, I do. But we need to get to her quickly. There is great evil afoot. Follow me!"

            Anya took off down the crowded street, Giles followed. He had no idea where she was leading him, but he trusted her. A few minutes later, they arrived in front of a house. He wondered if this was where she lived. 

            "Does she live here?" 

            "Kind of. She is an exchange student from the America. She's staying with the family that lives here."

            "Oh, I see."

            "We have to get her out of here and back to Sunnydale before they show up."

            "Who are they?"

            "No time for explanations, Giles. There is great evil coming!"

            Anya ran up to the door and knocked. An older woman opened the door.

            "Excuse me, how may I help you?" the woman asked in a German accent.

            "Yes, hello," Anya began, "Do you have an American exchanged student staying here?"

            "Yes, I do," the woman said in pretty good English, "Why?"

            "We need to talk with her," Anya replied.

            "Okay, I will get here," she answered and with that disappeared inside. 

            She reemerged a few moments later. This time, a young girl was with her.

            "Can I help you?" the girl asked.

            "Yes," Anya answered, "My friend needs to talk with you."

            Anya pointed to the street. The girl turned and looked at the older man with glasses standing on the sidewalk. The girl and Anya made their way to Giles.

            "Hello miss," Giles began, "I'm Rupert Giles. I have something very important to tell you."         

            "Wait, you're British?" the girl questioned, noticing his accent.

            "Yes, I am," Giles answered.

            "What is a British guy doing here in Germany?" she asked.

            "Never mind that," he said, becoming frustrated, "You are in very grave danger."

            "What are you talking about?" she asked.

            "Like he said, you are in grave danger!" Anya shouted.

            "Yes, I heard that part," the girl argued, "But why?"

            "You are a potential slayer," Giles informed her.

            "A what?" she questioned.

            "There is one girl chosen to protect the world from the dark forces. That girl is the slayer. You are one of many girls that may eventually become the slayer, after the current one dies," Giles informed.

            "And I'm supposed to believe that because…?" she asked.

            "You're life is at…"Giles said, before Anya interrupted.

            "Look, you're life is in danger if you don't come with us!" she shouted, "Come on, let's go! They'll be here shortly!"

            "No!" the girl yelled, "I will not go with you maniacs!"

            "Too late," Anya said.

            "What is it, Anya?" Giles asked.            

            "They're here," she answered.

            Giles looked around. Several hooded figures were closing in on the three of them. He had never seen anything like them before.

            "Anya, what the bloody hell are they?" Giles demanded.

            "I'm not sure," she replied, "They just aren't good news for our potential slayer here."

            The hooded figures were closing in on them rapidly. There were five of them and they each brandished two daggers.

            "Come on!" Giles shouted, "If you don't come with us, you will die!"

            The girl was confused and scared. She hesitated but decided to go. Giles began to run down the sidewalk. Anya and the potential followed. One of the hooded figures ran in front of him. It swung it's blades, barely missing Giles' head. Giles shoved it out of the way, causing it to fall backwards. The three of them were off to the airport.

Buffy's House:

            "Alright potentials," Buffy said, "We're gonna go out patrolling."

            Buffy had taken the responsibility of training the potentials while Giles was away trying to locate another one. 

            "Everyone gets a weapon," she told them.

            Just then the windows shattered and two hooded figures flipped into the house. Two more came in through the front door and two from the back. Willow and Xander came running downstairs, chased by two more of the figures and Spike ran upstairs, chased by one. 

            "What the hell!" Buffy shouted.

            "What are they, Buffy?" Willow asked, ducking the axe of one.

            Molly, Kennedy, and Annabelle were standing there ground, not letting the monks get the best of them. Buffy shot a bolt from her crossbow and killed one. He fell to the ground, his hood falling down.

            Spike and Xander each managed to kill one. One rushed Buffy with two daggers. She grabbed the wrist of one, who was trying to slash at her with the daggers, and kicked him backwards. She took the daggers from his hands and stabbed him in the chest. She spun around and stabbed another one that attempted to stab her from behind. His body fell to the ground.

            The threat was over. They had managed to kill the monks rather quickly. All of the things had been killed. The three potentials had done well and killed their share.

            "Great job, guys," she commented.

            "You set that up for us?" Kennedy questioned, enraged.

            "What? Of course not!" Buffy retaliated, "Why would I have someone break into my own house?"

            "I dunno," Kennedy replied, feeling stupid.

            Buffy looked down at one of the figures. He looked really familiar to her. He was bald and had no eyes. Where his eyes should be, were carved symbols.

            "I've seen these guys before," Buffy said.

            "What?" Willow asked.

            "They're called Bringers. I saw them that time Angel tried to kill himself on Christmas. They are connected with the First, they work for it," she informed.

            "I'm scared," Molly said.

            "Me too," Annabelle added, "They could come get us anytime now."

            "They're not after you," Buffy said, "They're after me. Don't worry I'll protect you if they attack again."

            The girls didn't look reassured. They were still scared to death.

           "Look," Buffy began, "I'm gonna go out and patrol for a bit. Willow, I need you to set up a barrier around the house. Spike, Xander, protect the girls at all costs."

            "Yes, Buffy," Spike said.

            "Alright," Xander replied.

            Buffy reached for the doorknob and opened it. There stood Giles, Anya, and some other girl, who Buffy guessed was the potential.

            "Buffy, what's wrong?" Giles questioned.

            "The house was just attacked by these monk guys," Buffy said, pointing to some of the dead ones, lying on the floor.

            "Anya?" Xander questioned, "What are you doing back?"

            "I ran into Giles in Germany and helped him find this potential," she replied.

            "Buffy, those monks tried to attack us in Germany," Giles informed, "By the way, this is Julia."

            "Hey," Buffy said.

            "Hi," Julia replied.

            Giles, Anya, and Julia entered the house and Buffy shut the door behind them. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Buffy turned and opened it. 

            "Buffy!" Cindy exclaimed.

            "Jake? Cindy?" Buffy questioned, confused.

            "You two are supposed to be dead," Giles said.

            "We lost you at the Council," Jake explained, "But we managed to get out alright. We were taking a little trip around Europe. Didn't think you'd mind since you figured we were dead."

            "So why did you come back?" Buffy questioned.

            "We were attacked by some hooded guys in London," Cindy told her, "Hey! Those are the guys!"

            She was pointing to some of the dead figures on the floor.

            "Something strange is going on here," Giles said.

           "Giles, I know what it is," Buffy informed, "First, these are Bringers. I met them back when Angel tried to kill himself. They work for the First. The First is not through with us. He's back after tricking me with that evil warlock thing."

            "Buffy, you can't be sure," Giles argued.

            "I am," she replied, "I know it!"

            "But what are they after?" he asked.

            "The potential slayers and the slayers," Anya put in.

            "How can you know that?" Buffy questioned.

            "It's obvious," Anya said, "They tried to attack Julia in Germany, they attacked Cindy in London, and attacked you and the potentials here."

            "But why would they be after the potentials?" Buffy asked.

            "I'm not sure," Anya said, "But I do know how to find out."

            "How's that, Anya?" Giles questioned.

            "There's an oracle here in Sunnydale. It will tell us anything and everything that we need and want to know," she replied.

            "You need a demon to get in there," Spike added.

            "We already have one," Xander informed, "Anya."


	3. Vulnerable

Vulnerable

Episode 3

Buffy's House:

            Anya sat alone in the kitchen, drinking water and reading a magazine. It was getting late and everyone else had gone to bed, or so she thought. She and Giles would be going the next morning to talk to the oracle, Beljoxa's Eye.

            "Hello Anyanka."

            Anya screamed and nearly jumped out of her chair. She turned and came face-to-face with her boss, D'Hoffryn. 

            "You scared me half to death," Anya said.

            She took a moment to calm down and catch her breath. It wasn't every day that a demon appeared in your house to talk.

            "Okay, I'm calm. What are you doing here?" she questioned.

            "We need to talk," he replied.

            "About?"

            "Anya?" someone questioned.

            Anya spun around to see Buffy standing in the doorway. She looked like she had just woken up and probably had. Anya realized it must have been her scream.

            "I heard you scream and just came to…Anya, watch out! There's a demon behind you!" Buffy exclaimed.

           Buffy got into battle stance. She was ready to kill whatever it was that had come into her house and threatened Anya.

            "Relax, Buffy," Anya said, "It's just my boss, D'Hoffryn."

            "Oh no," Buffy said, "I don't allow demons in my house."

            Anya gave her a puzzled look.

            "Well first of all, you've got Spike living downstairs," she informed, "and what do you think I am?"

            "Oh," Buffy replied, "right. You know I'm gonna sit here just in case."

            "Fine by me," D'Hoffryn said.

            Anya turned back to her boss, obviously annoyed with Buffy being there.

            "What do you need to talk about?" she questioned.

            "You have disobeyed the laws of vengeance demons," he began.

            "What did I do wrong?" she asked.

            "You helped these humans here by doing a good deed," he replied.

            "But they're my friends," she added.

            "You're friends are vengeance demons, not humans," he said, "Do you know what the punishment is for aiding a human?"

            "No, you can't!" she shouted.

            "I can."

            "I'm sorry, but I just can't let you touch her," Buffy said, rising to her feet.

            "Buffy, Anya," Giles said, coming into the kitchen, "What's going on here?"

            "Giles, stay back!" Buffy ordered.

            "Buffy, that's D'Hoffryn, the leader of the vengeance demons," Giles informed, "Get away from him."

            Just then, Spike decided to return from his midnight walk. He stepped right into the middle of everything.

            "What the bloody hell is going on here?" he questioned.

            No one answered him.

            "And who the bloody hell are you and what the bloody hell are you doing in here?" he asked.

            "Ah…this must be the vampire that you have living here," D'Hoffryn said to Buffy.

            "What's it to you, mate?" Spike questioned, walking over to Buffy.

            "Leave my house now!" Buffy ordered.

            "Not until Anyanka has received the proper punishment," he replied.

            "You'll hafta get through me first," Buffy said.

            D'Hoffryn didn't advance towards Anya. He just waved his arm and smirked.

            "It is done," he said.

            "What happened?" Buffy questioned.

            "I'm human again," Anya said solemnly.

            "Who did you think you were dealing with?" he questioned, "Did you think it would be that easy to get away?"

            And with that, the demon was gone. He just disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Buffy, Anya, Giles, and Spike just stood there.

            "Now where are you gonna get a demon to open the gateway to the oracle?" Spike questioned Anya.

            "Well, I know this demon, Torg," she said, "He's an old friend."

            "Where is this demon?" Giles asked.

            "He's probably out drinking," Anya informed.

            "Which means he's at Willy's," Spike added.

            "I was getting there," she said.

            "Anya and I will be back later," Giles informed, "Buffy, look after yourself and the potentials."

            "Yes, Giles," she replied.

            With that, Giles and Anya were gone. Buffy turned and looked at Spike. Then she walked out of the kitchen and headed back upstairs to bed. Spike went to the refrigerator and poured himself a nice cup of blood. He heated it up and then sat down at the table to drink it.

Willy's Bar:

            Anya and Giles entered the bar. There weren't very many demons or vampires there. Anya quickly noticed the demon, Torg. She walked over to him and Giles followed. Torg was quickly downing a large glass of alcohol. He looked drunk.

            "Torg!" Anya shouted.

            The demon looked up from his glass, confused. Torg was built like a biker, with a large, muscular body, and long stringy hair. But his hairline was unusual—a long zigzag pattern along the crown of his head. He also had a barbed wire tattoo over his ear where there was no hair. His eyes were an odd color, and his face was red and creased like he had been scarred from fights, his ears were oversized and pointed. He had been pierced everywhere—nose, brow, ears. Plus, he had a goatee and a few whiskers along his jaw line.

            "Anya?" he questioned, "What do you want?"

            "I need you to open the gateway to the oracle for me," she informed.

            "No."

            "Why not?"

            "You have the nerve to ask me that?"

            "Come on that was a lifetime ago."

            "Three, but who's counting? You broke my heart, Anyanka."

            "Don't be so dramatic, Torg. You don't even have a heart. Six spleens, two stomachs, half a brain maybe, but no heart."

            "Don't mock this. The night we spent together was...important to me."

            "It was one date. And it wasn't even a date. We just happened to be invited to the same massacre, and—and you hit on me after I had a few..."

            "I remember…you wore pink."

            "Those were entrails."

            "I'm sorry, perhaps we could skip the nostalgia," Giles said, growing annoyed.

            Anya glared at him.

            "Sorry, no, no, carry on," he added, not wanting to start anything.

            "Okay, Torg, look, you open this tiny little gateway to the Beljoxa's Eye for me, and I'll— You and I will go—I'll have sex with you again."

            "Ugh, please, you're human. I can sense it. The way you look now, I wouldn't touch you for all the kittens in Korea."

            "You're rejecting my offer of sexual bribery?" she questioned, then turned to Giles, "What am I, a leper in this town? I can't even give it away!"

            "Come back when you are a leper," Torg said.

            "Um, perhaps this might change your mind. You help us, and the slayer won't kill you," Giles said, interrupting.

That was enough to convince him. He put the glass down and got up from the barstool. He headed out of the bar. Giles and Anya followed close behind.

Another Dimension:

            It hadn't taken the demon very long to open the portal. She and Giles now stood in the dimension of the oracle. There was nothing. It was just black, but both could see each other.

            "Where's the Beljoxa's Eye?" Giles questioned.

            "Here," something said.

Giles and Anya walked towards the deep, echoing voice and discovered a creature that has many eyes that covered its surface. It was shaped vaguely like a comet, or maybe a huge eyeball with the nerve endings that streamed out behind it. The eyes that covered it's pink body were of varied shapes, sizes, and colors. The round part of the creature was in a spherical metal cage suspended from the ceiling by chains.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            "Listen up," Warren spoke, "The plan is to open up the seal of Danthazar. We need blood to activate it though." 

            The First was now in the form of Warren. It was speaking to a small group of Bringers.

            "There are two humans that should be arriving in Sunnydale shortly," The First told them, "They are old apprentices to this human. They know about the seal. Hopefully, we won't have to kill both of them. I am going to trick the one into killing the other. 

Another Dimension:

            "It cannot be fought, it cannot be killed. The First Evil has been and always will be. Since before the universe was born, long after there is nothing else, it will go on," it said.

            "I refuse to believe that," Giles said, "There must be some way to destroy it."

            "What, am I talking to myself here? There's no way," it replied.

            "Okay, we tried. Let's go, Giles," Anya said.

            "Are you saying that The First will succeed in—in wiping out the line of slayers?" Giles questioned.

            "The eye sees not the future, only the truth of the now and before," it answered.

            "Yes, we've all got that—it's called memory," Anya said, annoyed, "Can you help us out with something a little bit more demony?"

            "If The First has been around for all time, then why hasn't it attempted something like this before?" Giles asked, "Why now?"

            "The opportunity has only recently presented itself."

            "Opportunity?" Giles asked.

            "The mystical forces surrounding the chosen line have become irrevocably altered, become unstable, vulnerable."

            "Something The First did?" Anya questioned.

            "The First Evil did not cause the disruption, only seized upon it to extinguish the lives of the chosen forever."

            "Then what has caused the disruption?" Giles asked, "What—what is responsible for letting this happen?"

            "The slayer."

Outside Sunnydale High:

            "We are never going to Mexico again!" Jonathan exclaimed as the car pulled up in front of the school, "Those Mexicans freaked me out with that saying. It was all over the place."  
            "Shut up!" Andrew yelled, "We have to find this seal and tell Buffy."

            "Yeah, and then maybe she'll let us join her!" Jonathan exclaimed.

            "And let us into her house," Andrew added, "Do you think she forgot all about what we did to her way back then."

            "That was a few years ago," Jonathan went on, "She probably has."

            "Come on," Andrew said, "We have to find that Seal of Danthalzar first."

            The two walked to the side of the school and opened a window. Andrew climbed in first, and Jonathan followed. They walked down the hallway looking for the door to the basement.

            "Let's split up!" Andrew exclaimed, "That way we can cover more ground."

            "Alright," Jonathan agreed.

            Andrew went down the left hallway, Jonathan took the right.

            "He has no idea what we have planned for him," Warren spoke.

            Andrew spun around, confused. 

            "Warren? You left us," he said.

            "It was all part of my master plan. I die and come back even stronger," Warren said.

            "So what's the next step of the plan?" Andrew asked.

            "The seal, we need to activate it," Warren told him.

            "But why?" Andrew questioned, "We're trying to help Buffy."

            "Look you moron!" Warren yelled, "We are evil! And we'll always be!"

            "Yes, sir," Andrew said.

Buffy's House:

            Giles and Anya had just returned early in the morning. Giles gathered everyone into the dining room and was prepared to tell Buffy everything that the oracle had told them.

            "What did you learn from this oracle, Giles?" Buffy asked.

            "Well, it told us why the First Evil is here," Giles informed.

            "And why's that?" she questioned.

            "The First has discovered a disruption in the slayer line," Giles told her.

            "What kind of disruption?" she questioned.

            "Some kind of alteration," Giles replied.

            "Who did this?" Willow asked.

            "Buffy," he replied.

            "Her death?" Xander questioned, "How could that mess up the whole slayer mojo? It's not like she hasn't died before."

            "It's not because she died. The Beljoxa's Eye was quite clear about that in its enigmatic way. It's because she lives. Again. Buffy's not responsible for that," he answered.

           "Oh. Oh. Willow and me and Xander and Tara," Anya said, figuring it out, "We're the ones who brought Buffy back. We're—we're the reason the First is here, the reason those girls were murdered. No, it's our fault. The world would've been better off if Buffy had just stayed dead."            

            "So the First is going to wipe out each potential slayer so that once I die, there will be no one else to be call to be the slayer?" Buffy questioned.

            "Exactly," Giles replied.

            The four potentials didn't look very happy with the news that the First was after them. They were terrified.

            "Don't worry, girls," Xander reassured, "We deal with this stuff all the time."

Sunnydale High Basement:

            "It took us long enough to find this thing," Andrew said.

            "It wasn't my fault," Jonathan argued, "The stupid map was wrong."

            "Whatever, let's just start digging," Andrew finished.

            The two took out their shovels and began digging in the loose dirt of the basement floor. Slowly but surely, they managed to uncover the Seal of Danthalzar. Within a matter of two hours, the two had the seal completely uncovered.

            "I told you that he'd fulfill his part in this," Warren said.

            Andrew spun around to see Warren standing near the door. He wondered why Jonathan didn't see or hear Warren. 

            "Now all you have to do if finish him off and his part will be complete," Warren continued, "Use the knife."

            Andrew reached into his coat and pulled out a small knife. It had strange markings on it. He never took the time to read it before.   

            "Check out this weird…" Jonathan was cut short when the knife was plunged into his stomach. 

            Andrew quickly pulled the knife out of Jonathan. Warren, who was still standing at the door, smiled as Jonathan's lifeless body fell onto the seal. Jonathan's blood was quickly draining from his body, onto the seal. 

            "What!" Warren shouted.

            "What's wrong?" Andrew asked.

            "The foolish boy didn't have enough blood to activate the seal," Warren said.

            "Well how was I supposed to know this?" Andrew questioned.

            "Fortunately for you, I'm not able to touch anything so I can't kill you!" Warren shouted.

            Andrew had heard enough. He quickly ran past Warren and out of the school.


	4. Capture

Capture

Episode 4

Sunnydale High Basement:

            "The human that was sacrificed did not have enough blood to activate the seal," Spike spoke to the Bringers.

            The First was in the form of Spike. It was addressing the Bringers about the seal.

            "Bring the other human back here! I will use his blood to activate it instead!" Spike shouted.

            The Bringers quickly left the basement in a hurry. They needed to find Andrew so that his blood could be used to activate the seal. Spike stood there, peering down at the seal. 

            "Very soon," he spoke, "Very soon."

Buffy's House:

            Spike approached Buffy while she was in the basement doing the wash. 

            "Buffy, I need to speak with you," he said.

            "What is it, Spike?" she asked.

            "I've been killing."

            "Excuse me?"

            "I've been killing people and burying their bodies in some abandoned house."

            "But the chip?"  
            "I'm not sure. It must not work anymore."

            Buffy was shocked about what she had just learned. She didn't believe that Spike had been killing people.

            "Sometimes, I wake up in strange places. I have no memories of what happened before."

            "Alright, Spike. Take me to this house and show me the bodies."

The Basement of an Abandoned House:

            "Down there," he pointed, entering at the top of a flight of stairs.

            Buffy pushed him out of the way, and made her way down the stairs to the dirt floor below. She noticed that the dirt had been freshly moved, like someone was creating graves.

            "So, you're letting her in on all our secrets?" Spike asked.

            Spike turned around and came face to face with himself.

            "You still haven't fulfilled your end of the bargain, Spike," he said.

            Ignoring him, Spike made his way down the stairs after Buffy.

            "I think I buried them there," he told her, pointing to some patches of loose dirt.

            "Stop telling her everything!" Spike shouted.

            Spike didn't say anything; he just continued to ignore Spike. The other Spike began to hum a tune. 

            "No," the real Spike whispered.

            Apparently, Spike was seeing this other him in his mind. Buffy couldn't see or hear him.

            "No what, Spike?" Buffy asked, not turning around.

            Spike's features began to transform. His brow pulled back and so did his lips, revealing fangs. The other Spike stopped humming. Spike picked up a fireplace poker and swung it at Buffy, knocking her to the ground. Then he rushed over to bite her.

            She spun over and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying into the stairs.

            "What the hell, Spike?" she questioned.

            Suddenly, hands shot up from the ground.

            "Oh great," she said sarcastically.

            She grabbed the fireplace poker from Spike. Five vampires pulled themselves from the ground and attacked Buffy. She plunged it into the first vampire. Instantly, it exploded into dust.

            "Silly girl," Spike said, "Doesn't realize what is going to happen to her."

            The real Spike just sat there on the floor, looking at himself. Both were watching Buffy get attacked by these newborn vampires. Unfortunately for them, Buffy was winning.

            She swung the fireplace poker and beheaded two more vampires. She swung it around and without looking, shoved it into another's chest, hitting the heart. It flew to the ground but was dust before it hit. She gave the final vamp and roundhouse kick, which sent it flying back into the far wall. She threw the poker like a javelin, piercing the last vampire's heart. It burst into dust. 

            Two more vampires burst out of the ground and grab Buffy by the arms. She is unable to break free of their grip.

            "Taste her," Spike told him and started humming again.

            The real Spike vamped out again and walked up to Buffy. He smiled and licked his fangs. He brought his tongue to a cut on Buffy's check and licked it. Suddenly, he backed down and held his head in pain. Buffy jump kicked him back, sending him flying into the stairs again. She broke the other vamps' grip and dusted them both with the fireplace poker. 

            "She's going to kill you now," Spike said to the real one, "It's all over."

            Buffy approached the real Spike. He was holding his head, crying. The other Spike disappeared. 

            "Go ahead, do it fast," Spike told her, "He said you would."

            "What? Who said I would?" Buffy questioned.

            "Me. It was me. I saw him. I was here the whole time, talking and singing. There was a song," he said.

            "What are you talking about?"

            "I don't know. Please, I don't remember. Don't make me remember. Make it so I forget again! I did what you wanted!"

            "There's something here."

"Oh, God, no, please. I need that. I can't cry the soul out of me. It won't come. I killed, and I can feel 'em. I can feel every one of them."

"There's something playing with us. All of us."

"What is it? Why is it doing this to me?"

"I don't know."

"Will you... help me? Can you help me?"

"I'll help you."

Buffy's House:

            "Look, the First is messing with Spike," Buffy told her friends.

            Everyone was gathered in the living room. Buffy and Spike had just returned from their little encounter with vampires in the basement of the abandoned house. Spike was sitting down the basement, by himself, wrapped in a blanket like he was in shock or something.

            "What do you mean?" Giles questioned.

            "It's controlling him, making him go crazy," Buffy replied.

            "Controlling him how?" Willow asked.

           "He claims that someone else is there sometimes and that this other person talks to him, tells him things," she went on, "If we're going to find out more about the First, than we're going to have to get close to Spike."

            "Not such a good idea there, Buffy," Xander said.

            "I know that it's dangerous but we need to find out more about the First Evil," she replied.

            Just then, the doors burst open. Several Bringers entered the house. 

            "What the hell?" Buffy shouted.

            Several more Bringers burst in through the window that Xander had just finished boarding up. They drew their axes and daggers. Buffy and everyone else stood up and the fight began.

            One Bringer attacked Buffy with a dagger. She tripped it and took the dagger from his hand. Another came at her and she shoved the dagger into its chest, killing it. The four potentials weren't fairing so well this time. Annabelle was getting shallow cuts. She couldn't dodge the daggers fast enough.

            Kennedy, Molly, and Julia were just barely fairing against them. Kennedy managed to kill the one attacking her, so she ran over to help Annabelle. She came up behind the Bringer and threw it into a table, which shattered, sending splinters flying everywhere. 

            "Are you alright?" she asked Annabelle. 

            "Yes, just a few shallow cuts," Annabelle replied.

            A Bringer rushed Annabelle and Kennedy, knocking them to the ground. It reached for a dagger, but Buffy stepped in the way and snapped its neck. She picked up the second dagger and stabbed another Bringer with it. Annabelle and Kennedy stood up and rejoined the fight.

            "Cindy, look out!" Jake shouted as a Bringer came up behind Cindy.

            It brought its axe down. Luckily, Cindy barely dodged it. She swung her foot around and knocked it to the ground. She took the axe, which lay on the ground and brought it down on the Bringer's head. Jake was suddenly knocked to the ground. Another had tackled him and reached for its dagger.

            Jake rolled out of the way and kicked its head into the floor, knocking it out. Cindy came over and sliced its head clean off the shoulders. She then noticed that Julia needed some help. The Bringer threw her into the wall and attempted to stab her with its long dagger. Cindy shouted duck and Julia did. The Bringer's head came clean off its shoulders and the body fell to the ground.

            "Thanks," Julia said.

            "Hey, no problem," Cindy replied.

            Buffy was managing to hold off the three that she was fighting. That's when it hit her! Where was Giles? She stabbed one and tripped the other two. She glanced around the room, looking for Giles.

            "Giles!" she called, and stabbed another Bringer.

            Suddenly, a Bringer came thudding down the stairs, splattering them in blood. Giles quickly followed. He pulled the dagger out of the Bringer that was just killed and stabbed another.

            "I'm all right, Buffy!" he called back.

            Buffy stabbed the final Bringer and glanced around to see how the others were doing. They were all finished with the Bringers. There were no more left alive. Buffy caught her breath while noticing the bleeding bodies all over her house. 

            "Where's Spike?" she quickly realized.

            She turned and ran down the basement, which was where Spike was staying. 

            "Spike!" she shouted as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

            The basement was empty. Spike was gone. She noticed that the basement door had been smashed open. The Bringers had taken Spike. She headed back upstairs, with a not so happy look on her face.

            "Spike's gone," she said, "They took him."

            The others were all moving the bodies, to clear a path so they could walk. They had killed at least thirty of them. 

            "How?" Willow questioned.

            "They broke through the basement door and took him," Buffy replied, "It's like they were after him the whole time."

            "It seems like the First isn't through with Spike yet," Giles concluded.

            "We have to get him back!" she exclaimed, "He's another muscle around here."

            "We will, Buffy. We will," Giles comforted.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            "Did you really think that I was through?" Spike asked the real Spike.

            "What do you want with me?" the real Spike asked in a weak voice.

            He had been taken from Buffy's basement by the things called Bringers. They had returned even after they'd been beaten by Buffy and the others a few weeks before. Spike was now chained to a large wheel with an upside down star carved in it.

            "Now, now," Spike said, "I wanted to use that other weak boy, but he fled. So you'll have to do."

            "What are you talking about?" the real Spike asked.

            Two Bringers stepped forward and began carving strange symbols in his bare chest. He screamed in pain. Blood began dripping from his wounds.

            "Turn him upside down!" the fake Spike shouted.

            Another Bringer began turning handle that caused the wheel to hang upside down. Spike's blood began dripping from these severe wounds onto the Seal of Danthalzar. 

            Spike transformed into Buffy.

            "Now Spike, are you ready to see what a real vampire looks like?" she asked.

            The blood had now completely filled the star on the seal. The star began to fold up until the seal was open. A deformed-looking hand shot up from the opening, followed by another. The two arms pulled up the rest of the creature. The creature was now standing on the edge of the seal. It growled in fury and rage. 


	5. Journey

Journey

Episode 5

Buffy's House:

            "I'm gonna have to fix these windows forever!" Xander complained, "Everytime I fix them, they get broken again. I'm doomed!"

            No one was listening. The rest of the gang was sitting in the living room looking depressed. No one was saying a thing. Buffy was frustrated with why the First would want Spike. The only thing that she could think of was it wasn't finished with him yet.

            "I can't take it anymore!" Annabelle yelled, "We can't just sit around here and wait for the Bringers to come back and attack again."

            "They're not coming back," Buffy said, "They got what they came for."

            "What was that?" Kennedy asked.

            "Spike," she replied.

            "Buffy," Giles began, "We will get him back, I promise."

Underground:

            The ancient vampire was pounding Spike into the wall of the cave. Spike wasn't even putting up a fight. He just let the vampire continue the severe beatings. 

            "How can you put up with this?" Drusilla said, "All you have to do is come to our side and it will all stop."

            "Never!" Spike yelled.

            "And why's that?" Dru questioned, "Why do you stay on their side? You aren't human. You're a demon."

            "Because she believes in me," he said in a weak voice.

            "Give it to him," Dru told the vampire.

            The ancient vampire grabbed Spike by his feet and dragged him to a small pond in the cave. He grabbed Spike by the neck and shoved his face in. 

Buffy's House:

            "I have some news," Giles said, interrupting the silence.

            "What's that?" Willow questioned.

            "There are still more potential slayers out there somewhere in the world," he began, "They are all in danger of being killed by the First's minions."

            "And?" Xander questioned.

            "I have to find and bring them here to Sunnydale," he finished.

            "How are you going to find them all?" Buffy asked.

            "I have the locations of some of them," he went on, "I just have to go and bring them all here."

            "You can't go by yourself," Buffy stated.

            "You're right," he agreed.

            "I'm going with you," she said.

            "No, Buffy," Giles told her, "You are needed here. You are the leader here. Cindy will aid me in my quest for the potentials."

            "Sounds good, Giles," Cindy agreed.

            "I'm coming too," Jake added.

            "No," Giles said, "Buffy needs all the help she can get here."

            "But…" Jake argued.

            "No buts," Giles said, "Cindy and I will leave tomorrow morning."

Downtown Sunnydale:

            "You're leaving me again," Buffy said.

            "I'm sorry, Buffy," Giles replied, "But I need to find these other potentials and bring them here. They are at risk out there in the world."

            "But I can go with you. You won't be safe out there," Buffy argued.

            "That's why Cindy is coming," Giles stated, "The others need you here to lead them, to protect them. You are the strongest one and only you will be able to protect them."

            Buffy and Giles were walking through downtown Sunnydale. Giles had decided to go patrolling with her, while Cindy stayed at the house and protected the potentials. Everything was pretty quiet throughout the city. It seemed as if the vampires and demons knew the First was coming. 

            "It's a quiet night," Buffy said.

            "And it has been for a while," Giles agreed.

            "The vampires and demons know what is going on," she guessed, "They don't want to mess with the evil that created them."

            "That is probably true," Giles stated.

            The two continued their walk until they reached a forest at the edge of town. They had turned around and were about to head back the way they came when Buffy turned back towards the forest.

            "I have a bad feeling about this place," she spoke.

            "What do you mean?" Giles questioned.

            "I can feel the evil. There's something in there," she said.

            She stepped off the street and through the trees. Giles followed.

            "Buffy, this is too dangerous!" Giles yelled, "We are out here with no weapons, walking into the woods where you claim there is evil afoot."

            "Giles, we'll be…Aahh!" Buffy was cut off when she fell through a hole in the ground. 

            She landed on her back in a dimly lit cave. She hurt her back in the fall. She wasn't exactly sure where she was or where the light was coming from.

            "Buffy!" Giles called from the hole, "Are you all right?"

            Buffy slowly sat up and rubbed her back. She knew it was probably a bruise already but knew it would heal shortly.

            "I'm fine!" she yelled up to Giles.

            She stood up and looked around the cave. There didn't seem to be much of the way of anything in there. That's when she heard a noise from behind her. She turned around, but didn't see anything. 

            A dark shadow fell over her and she turned around to come face to face with a hideous vampire-like creature. It growled at her. Buffy jumped back and gave it a roundhouse kick, which did nothing. It grabbed her foot in midair and swung her into the wall of the cave. There was a crack as she hit the cave wall. It was her ribs.

            "Buffy!" Giles shouted from above, "What's going on down there?"  
           She stood up and the vampire ran at her. She grabbed her stake and shoved it into the vampire. She stared in horror. The vampire still stood and was smirking at her. He pulled the stake out of its chest and thrust it at her stomach. She dodged, but barely. The vampire swung the stake and it slashed across her chest. It grabbed Buffy by the neck and lifted her off of the ground.

            "Buffy!" Giles yelled, "Where are you?"  
            Buffy gasped for air as the vampire's grip tightened. She began to see black spots around her eyes. This was it. This was the end for her. She couldn't fight off this vampire that was immune to stakes, immune to her attacks.

            "Giving up already?" someone asked.

            Suddenly Buffy was no longer being held by this super vampire. She was surrounded by darkness.

            "Mom?" Buffy asked.

            "Are you going to give up that easily, Buffy?" her mom asked, "Are you going to let yourself get killed just like that?"

            "Mom, it's too strong. I can't beat it with stakes. It's got me and now it's too late," Buffy said.

            "No Buffy, it isn't too late," her mom said, "You can still turn it around. You can still escape."

            Buffy didn't say anything. She just watched as the ghost of her mom began to disappear.

            "It isn't too late, Buffy. It isn't too late."

            And with that, Buffy was back to reality. She was back in the super vampire's grip. She suddenly felt a burst of adrenaline. She grabbed the vampire's hand and began prying it off of her neck. She kicked it in the chest, causing it to stumble backwards. She dropped to the ground. 

            "Giles!" Buffy shouted, "There's something down here!"

            She jumped up towards the hole that she fell through and began pulling herself up. The super vampire ran towards her and grabbed her leg, pulling her down.

            "Buffy!" Giles shouted and grabbed her arm and began helping her out.

            The super vampire was pulling her back down. It had a strong grip around her leg. 

            "It's got me!" she shouted trying to pull herself out of the hole. 

            Giles' grip strengthened as he tried to pull her out. Buffy was using all her strength to pull herself out of the cave and away from this super vampire. Just when Giles almost lost his grip, the sun rose. 

            "Buffy, the sun!" Giles shouted. 

            The vampire let go of her leg when the sun shone on its face. It screamed in pain. Giles managed to help pull Buffy out of the hole.

            "Giles, what was that?" she questioned, catching her breath.

            "It is called a Turok Han. A Neanderthal type vampire, the vampire that other vampires fear," he informed.

            "Where did it come from?" she asked, rubbing her side. 

            "I'm not sure, though it's probably is an agent of the First. These creatures were considered myth," he told her.

            "Guess not anymore."

Buffy's House:

            Giles and Cindy had left a few hours ago for their journey to find more potential slayers and bring them to Sunnydale. Buffy had gone to sleep so that she could be refreshed to deal with the potentials later. She didn't know how she was going to tell them that there was a super vampire walking around.

            Buffy woke up and headed into the family room, where everyone was seated.

            "Are you going to tell them about this Ubervamp?" Xander whispered as she sat down next to him.

            She didn't answer him. She cleared her voice and looked at the four potentials. They all looked puzzled at what was going on.

            "Alright, listen up," she began, "I have some rather bad news."

            "What is it?" Kennedy asked.

            "There is an ancient vampire on the loose," she went on, "One that cannot be killed with stakes. It's called a Turok Han and it's very dangerous, invincible to regular attacks."

            "A vampire unaffected by stakes?" Molly asked.

            "Did you slay it?" Annabelle asked.

            "No, I didn't. It almost had me, if it wasn't for the sun," Buffy replied.

            "You mean to say that it's gonna come after us?" Molly questioned.

            "That's why everyone is staying inside," Buffy stated, "No one leaves after sunset, no matter what. This Ubervamp could be lurking the streets anywhere."

Underground Cave:

            "Give up!" Dru told him.

            Spike was now chained up onto the cave wall. The Ubervamp and the First, in form of Drusilla were watching him.

            "You cannot continue to resist me!" she shouted.

            "She will come for me," Spike began whispering, "She will come for me. She will come."

            Dru leaned in to hear what Spike was mumbling under his breath. 

            "She will come for me, she will come," he continued muttering.

            "No, she won't!" Dru shouted.

            "I will not give up," Spike mumbled.

            "She doesn't care about you living or dying. If she hasn't come yet, she won't be here at all."

            "She will, I know she will."

Buffy's House:

            "What about Spike?" Molly asked.

            "What about him?" Buffy questioned.

            "How are we getting him back?" she asked, "I mean with that Ubervamp and the Bringers on the loose."

            "I'm not sure," Buffy answered, "But I know we have to find a way to."

            "But Buffy, if you couldn't even kill that Ubervamp, then how do you expect to get Spike back?" Annabelle questioned.

            "I don't know!" Buffy yelled, "I don't know what to do! I'm just as stumped as you all are!"

            Annabelle looked kind of scared at Buffy's sudden burst of anger. She backed down and sat in her seat.

            "Look," Buffy began, "I'm sorry for snapping. I'm just as frustrated and scared as all of you are. And I'm not sure what to do about everything. All this responsibility has just been slammed on me and I don't know what I'm doing."


	6. Weight of the World

Weight of the World

Episode 6

Buffy's House:

            Willow, Xander, and Buffy were all standing in the kitchen. They had left Jake and the slayers-in-training in the family room to talk. 

            "So how many apocalypses have we faced now?" Xander asked.

            "Too many to count," Willow replied.

            "There is one thing that is different about this apocalypse though," Buffy said.

            "What's that?" Willow asked.

            "It's a little obvious, Will," Xander butted in, "We are gonna lose. We're all going to die."

           "Wrong!" Buffy shouted, "The difference about this one is we're not going to sit around waiting for the First to strike. We're taking the offensive. The First does something; we're going to be right there. I'm going to be right there, following the First move for move."  
            "Whoa!" Xander exclaimed, "Someone's mood just changed."

            "Buffy, can you handle all this pressure?" Willow asked.

            "I've had the weight of the world on my shoulders many times before," Buffy began, "I can handle it again."

            In the other room, Jake was talking to the potentials.

            "Lighten up, girls," he said, "I've faced stuff like this before. Everything will come out good."

            "How can you say that?" Julia asked, "You heard Buffy, the Ubervamp can't be killed."

            "Julia's right!" Molly said, "If she can't beat the Turok Han, then how is she going to beat the First?"

            "Oh come on," Jake said, "She'll find a way to kill this Ubervamp."

            "How can you be so sure?" Annabelle questioned.

            "Cuz I know she will," Jake argued, "She's the slayer. Rumor has it that she's adverted at least six apocalypses."

            "Rumor has it?" Julia questioned, "That doesn't mean it's true."

            "She has!" Kennedy exclaimed, finally speaking up, "My watcher told me about her. She's the best slayer that's ever lived. And besides Giles told us that on our way here, a while back."

            "I don't remember that, Kennedy!" Molly shouted.

            "You're lying to us!" Annabelle yelled.

            "There's no way that she has stopped that many apocalypses!" Julia argued.

            "Well, guess what!" Kennedy shouted, "She has. I mean she managed to stop that wizard thing last time!"

            "That was one apocalypse!" Annabelle shouted, "It doesn't mean anything!"

            "If she's been the slayer for this long, I'm sure she's stopped other ones!" Kennedy argued, "And besides, how many have you adverted?"

            Annabelle didn't answer. Kennedy had outsmarted her. But it didn't stop her from changing her opinion.

            "Girls, girls! Calm down!" Jake shouted above the noise, "Let's just stop arguing and watch TV or train downstairs."

            The girls stopped yelling and screaming at each other and realized it was stupid arguing about this.

            "I'm going downstairs to work out," Jake told them, "If any of you want to train, I'll be more than glad to help."

            With that, he got up and headed down the basement. He was down there for a few minutes, knocking around the punching bag, when the door to the basement opened and he heard someone coming down the stairs. He turned his back and pretended not to notice that someone was in the room.

            "Hey," someone said.

            Jake spun around and came face to face with Julia.

            "Hey Julia," he said, "What's up?"

            "Nothing," she replied, "Just got tired of all the arguing."

            "Yea, that's why I left," he told her, "You four are all worked up about this First Evil. Buffy will protect you. She'll figure this out. She got us through the apocalypse last year. We'll be fine."

            "You sure?"

            "Definitely!"

            "Listen to this," he began, "Last year, I was working for the Watcher's Council and Sunnydale was being ruled by a vampire queen. Buffy had been captured. A different slayer and I went in to dust the queen and we found Buffy, who was thought to be dead. She's a tough slayer for not giving up."

            "Whoa!" Julia exclaimed, "That's an interesting story!"

            "It's true though."

            "I see."

            "So how long have you known that you were a candidate for the slayer?"

            "Uh…not that long. When Giles came to get me, I didn't know. He had to tell me and I still wasn't convinced. I kind of got the hint when those crazy monks tried to attack us."  
            "Oh. That's not a great way to start out, being attacked."  
            "No it isn't. And this whole potential slayer thing hasn't been getting better either. I mean first those monks attacked us here and now that Ubervamp is on the loose."

            "Hey, don't sweat it! You'll be okay."

            "You sure?"

            "Yes. We'll protect you. You're in good hands."

Underground Cave:

            "The slayer cannot stop me now!" Buffy shouted, "You might as well give up. You're fight is hopeless."

            Spike was still being held captive and tortured by the First. The Ubervamp had stopped its constant beat downs on Spike. It seemed like its attention was focused on something else instead, but Spike had no clue what. He was still hanging from the walls and was very weak. He had cuts all over his chest from the Bringers knives. 

            "It's not hopeless," Spike mumbled, weakly, "She will stop you and she'll come for me."

            "What's that?" 

            "She will come for me. She will come."

            "No, I won't," Buffy said and smirked, "I am too frightened and I always will be. You'll never be rescued."

            Spike didn't say anything. He just closed his eyes and tried to block out the talking.

            "Sunset is amongst us," Buffy said to the Ubervamp, "Finish them off!"

Buffy's House:  

            "It's getting dark out," Julia told Jake, peering out the basement door. 

            "That's not great news," he informed.

            The two had been training in the basement for a while. They had talked about all sorts of things, like adventures they'd gone through in their lives. They seemed to becoming attracted to each other.

            "There's something out there," Julia told him.

            "It's probably just a wild animal," he comforted.

            "It's not. It looks like a person, but I can't see that well," she went on.

            "Let me see."

            Jake took off the boxing gloves, tossed them onto the floor, and walked over to the door. He peered out and saw something that shocked him. There were three Bringers making a sort of wall in the back yard. They were wielding daggers.

            "Uh oh," he whispered, "We can't let them know that we know they're there."

            The two dashed up the stairs to inform Buffy. They were panting as they burst open the basement door. 

            "Buffy!" Jake called from the family room.

            Buffy emerged from the kitchen, followed by Willow and Xander. The other potential slayers looked confused.

            "What's wrong?" Buffy asked.

            "They're here," he told her.

            "What? Who is?" she questioned.

            "The Bringers," he replied, "There are three out back. It looked like they are forming a wall."

            Xander went back into the kitchen and looked between the blinds on the backdoor. He saw that Jake was right. There were three Bringers standing there, forming a kind of wall. He came back into the family room with a look of horror on his face.

            "He's right, Buff!" Xander exclaimed, "It looks like they're trying to prevent us from escaping."

            "Uh guys," Molly interrupted.

            "What is it?" Buffy asked.

            "There are at least six of them standing out front, forming a wall," she told Buffy.

            Buffy looked out the small crack between the boards where the window used to be. She saw that the Bringers were standing on the front lawn, wielding daggers. They seemed to be waiting for something.

            "What are they doing?" Annabelle asked.

            "It looks like they're waiting for something," Buffy told everyone.

            "But what?" Julia questioned.

            "I think I have an idea. Everyone needs a weapon!" she ordered.

            Everyone quickly jumped up and rushed over to the weapons chest. 

            "Buffy, what's coming?" Willow asked, while the potentials were trying to get weapons.

 "The one thing that I may not be able to defeat," she told her friend.

            "The Ubervamp?" Willow whispered.

            "Will, the war has started," Buffy informed, "And we are totally unprepared for this and what is to come."

            "Do you have a plan on how to beat the Ubervamp?"

            "No, I don't," Buffy told her, "But I'll figure it out. I'm gonna need your help in protecting the potentials."

            "I know. I'll try my hardest," Willow said.

            "Thanks Will," Buffy replied.

            "Something is happening!" Molly shouted.

            Molly, Julia, and Annabelle were peering out through the small crack between the boards. The noticed that the Bringers were separating, like they were letting something through.

            "It's here," Buffy whispered.

            "Buffy!" Annabelle shouted, "Something is coming up to the door! I think it's the Ubervamp!"

            "Calm down!" Kennedy scolded, "Everything will be fine. A vampire needs an invitation to get in a house."

            "Something tells me that this one doesn't need an invitation," Buffy said, "Will, get ready."

            There was a loud bang on the door. Buffy knew that one more hit would knock the door down. She glanced over a Willow who was chanting a spell. Suddenly, the door burst off the hinges and there stood the Ubervamp. 

            The potentials jumped back in fear. The Ubervamp gave them an evil smirk and lunged for Annabelle. There was fear in the girl's eye. The Ubervamp smacked into an invisible wall which was right in front of everyone. It began slamming its fist on the force field.

            "Buffy!" Willow shouted, "I can't hold it for much longer! It's too strong!"

            "Plan B!" Buffy informed everyone, "Run!"

            No one hesitated. They all headed out the back door and into the lawn where several Bringers stood guard. Annabelle ran out the door and a Bringer jumped right in front of her. She screamed! Just as it raised its dagger to attack her, a crossbow bolt hit it in the forehead. It fell dead to the ground.  Annabelle caught her breath and followed the others out of the yard.

            Buffy fired another bolt, killing another Bringer. She heard a scream and turned. Molly was being attacked by one. Buffy couldn't reload in time. It looked like the end for Molly.

            Suddenly, Xander jumped off the back porch and brought an axe down on it. The Bringer turned right to see the axe come down on its head. Xander picked up the axe.

            "Come on!" he shouted to her, "Let's go!"

            He and Molly ran after Willow and the other three girls. The back door burst open and the Ubervamp walked through the dust. Buffy turned to see it. She hesitated, and then ran after the others.

Construction Site:

Buffy finally caught up with Xander, Willow, Jake and the potentials. She turned around to see if the Ubervamp had followed, but it was no where in sight. She just hoped it stayed that way.

            "Where is it?" Molly questioned.

            "I don't know," Buffy replied.

            "Maybe we lost it," Annabelle put in.

            "I doubt it," Buffy told them, "It's after the four of you, remember?"

            "Buffy, how are you going to kill it?" Kennedy asked.

            Buffy didn't answer for a few moments.

            "I'm going to dust it just like any other vampire," she answered, "We can't keep running from this thing. From now on, we're taking the offense. No more running, no more hiding. This thing is going down, along with the First. We can't sit around and wait for the First to keep throwing stuff at us. Whatever it does, we're gonna be one step ahead of it."

            "But Buffy…" Annabelle began.

            "No buts!" she shouted.

            "No Buffy, it's here!" Annabelle exclaimed.

            Buffy turned her head to see the Ubervamp standing on top of a wall. It smirked at her. She smirked back.

            "Take them to a safe area!" Buffy yelled to Xander and Willow.

            The Ubervamp jumped down just as Willow and Xander led the others to safer place so they could watch. The Ubervamp stepped forward, only a few feet away from Buffy.

            "This is the end for you," she began.      

            The Ubervamp growled.

            "I'm taking you down. I'm killing you and they will see it," she told the ancient vampire.

            It rushed Buffy. She couldn't escape in time and got knocked backwards. She stumbled but regained her balance. The Ubervamp came at Buffy again. She jump kicked it, but it barely affected it. She gave it a roundhouse kick. The vampire caught her foot and spun her around. She flew through the air and smashed into a pillar.

            "Buffy!" Willow shouted in horror as the vampire descended upon her.

            Buffy lay there, wounded. She couldn't move. All that she could do was lay there in horror as the Ubervamp moved in to kill her. This was it. It was the end. All the training she'd done had been a waste. She was going to die here. And her friends and the potential slayers would all die too.

            She began to become overwhelmed with pain as the ancient vampire drew closer. Spots began forming in the corner of her eyes. It was getting dark. It was all too dark. It was all over for her and for the world. 

Unknown Time and Location:

            Buffy opened her eyes. Her head hurt like crazy. She slowly sat up and looked around. She was no longer at the construction site. She was back in her warm home, in her comfy bed. Sunlight was shining through the half-drawn curtains. Was everything that had happened, a dream? 

            She looked down at her arms. They were slightly bruised and had small specs of dried blood on them. She reached up and rubbed her head. There was a small gash on her left check. It hurt a little but she knew that it would be gone soon.

            She stood up and went into the bathroom. She washed her face and then headed downstairs. She heard the voices of the others as she headed down the stairs.

            "Buffy has been out for so long," Willow said.

            "I hope that she's okay," Anya put in.

            "Look guys, Buffy will be fine," Xander informed, "She always gets better."

             "I hope you're right, Xander," Willow replied.

            "I know I am," he answered.

            Buffy reached the bottom of the stairs and walked into the dining room. The four potential slayers and Jake were sitting there talking. None of them even looked up when she walked in.

            "It may have beaten me once," she began.

            All five of them looked up and towards Buffy. Xander, Anya, and Willow came in from the family room.

            "But it won't beat me again," she went on, "Nothing has taken me down. That sorcerer from last spring, I beat it. This Ubervamp is not strong than that. I will beat it! And I will beat the First! We will survive this. We just became an army and will stop at nothing to defeat this evil! I'm tired of sitting around and waiting for an apocalypse, like always. We're taking the offensive. Any questions?" 


	7. New

New

Episode 7

Buffy's House:

            The slayer boarding house had been full of tension since last week. They hadn't come across any Bringers or the Ubervamp since then. Buffy and the others had spent the week resting. She hadn't even taken them out on patrol, for fear of them getting killed. She needed a plan to stop this ancient vampire and to weaken the First. 

            Buffy, Willow, Xander, and Anya were in the dining room discussing possible ways of how she could take out this vampire. Molly, Kennedy, and Annabelle were in the basement, training. Jake and Julia were talking in the family room. They were becoming closer to each other and neither of them realized it. 

            Giles and Cindy were still away on their journey looking for more potential slayers. The others knew that they wouldn't return for a while. Spike was still at the mercy of the First, who would torture him countless times.

            "Look we need to find a way to defeat this Ubervamp," Buffy began, "It has beaten me twice, even when I was prepared for it."

            "Buffy, maybe this thing is unbeatable," Willow informed.

            "She does have a point," Anya added, "It was created by the First Evil, the supposed unbeatable force."

            "No!" she shouted, "Nothing is ever unstoppable! There is always a weakness in everything."

            "She does have a point you two," Xander agreed. 

            They were split on their opinions and none of them could figure out how they could possibly defeat the Ubervamp and protect the potentials. Just then the phone wrung. Buffy went into the family room to answer it. The others followed. The potentials came upstairs and Julia and Jake ended their conversation.

            "Hello."

            "Buffy? This is Giles."

            "Giles? What is it? What's wrong?"

            "I have some rather bad news."

            "Giles, is there a time where you will ever call just to say hello?"

            "Sometime I will, Buffy. I promise."

            "Alright, so what is it?"

            "Well I hate to inform you of this but Cindy has gone missing and I presume that she is dead."

            "Excuse me?" 

            "We were trying to find a potential slayer the other day. The girl fled into some nearby woods when the Bringers showed up. Cindy gave chase and so did the Bringers. Neither of the two ever came back. They were most likely killed."

            "How sure are you?" 

            "Pretty sure. I wouldn't be calling if I wasn't. I have something else that I want you to keep to yourself."

            "Alright, I will."

            "If Cindy has been killed, it may mean that a new slayer has already been called."

            "But Giles, the slayer line is through me, remember?"

            "No, it isn't Buffy. I have figured it all out. After you were killed by those mystical energies, the succession of the slayer line went to Faith. Another slayer was not called after you died the second time. After Faith died, Cindy was called."

            "Are you telling me that I'm not really the slayer?"

            "No, you are still the slayer. You have the power of a slayer. The only thing is if you die, another slayer will not be called."

            "I see."

            "Buffy, one of the potentials that are staying with you may have been called or another one somewhere out here in the world may have been called. Keep this all to yourself. It will surely scare the others if they find out that one of them is the slayer."

            "But won't a watcher come to find her?"

            "Buffy, remember, the Watcher's Council was destroyed. Any watchers that are still out there have no way of knowing who or where a potential is located. I am the only one that does. Well, there is that Covent in England. They have the power to locate beings with power anywhere in the world. They have been informed to contact you if they detect a potential living in Sunnydale."

            "Alright, Giles. I will keep this to myself. Good luck."

            "Goodbye, Buffy. I hope to return within a week with more potential slayers."    

            "I look forward to then, since things have been getting very complicated around here lately."

            "Everything will be okay, Buffy. Goodbye."

            "Goodbye."

            "What did Giles want?" Willow asked.

            "He just called to check up and see if everyone was okay," Buffy informed.

            "Well that's good," Anya added.

Unknown Location:

            Cindy sat up. Her head really hurt. She glanced around. She was in a small clearing in the woods. She looked up at the sky. It was morning. She couldn't remember why she was lying here in the clearing.

            She slowly stood up and glanced around the clearing, once more. The ground was stained with blood. Her eyes followed the trail of blood to the body of a young girl. That's when the memories all came back.

            _Giles and Cindy had arrived in __Wales__ a few weeks early. They had finally been clued in to as where a potential slayer was staying. They headed for her apartment complex._

_            "The girl is probably  inside," Giles told Cindy._

_            "Well then, let's go in and get her," she replied._

_            The two walked up to the apartment building and headed inside. They came up to the front desk. The woman sitting there smiled at them._

_            "Can I help you?" she asked._

_            "Yes," Giles began, "We are looking for Amber."_

_            "Last name?" the woman asked._

_            "I'm sorry," Giles said, "I'm not sure of her last name."_

_            "Then I can't help you," the woman informed._

_            "Please, she is my long-lost daughter and I was told that she was staying here," he lied._

_            "Yes, please miss," Cindy began, "I loved my sister dearly and I'd be so very happy if I could see her again."_

_            The stern look on the woman's face changed to a smile. Giles noticed a tear falling down her cheek._

_            "Alright, let me check," she said, "but I can't guarantee that there is only one person named Amber staying here."_

_            She went to the computer and typed for a few moments. She glanced at the screen and smiled at the results._

_            "Well I have some good news," she informed, "There is someone named Amber staying here. Her apartment number is 301. Take the elevator there. It should be the first room on the left."_

_            "Thank you so very much," Giles said and the two of them headed for the elevator._

_            Giles and Cindy reached __apartment__ 301__ and Giles knocked on the door. A few moments later, a young girl stood at the doorway. She was about medium height, had strawberry blond hair, and brown eyes._

_            "Can I help you?" she asked._

_            "You must be Amber," Giles said._

_            "Why yes, I am," she replied._

_            "Hello, my name is Giles and this is Cindy," he introduced, "We need you to come with us."_

_            "Excuse me?" she questioned._

_            "I don't have much time to explain," he began, "They will be here soon."_

_            "Explain what?" she questioned, "Who will?"_

_            "You are part of the line of the __Chosen__ One, the slayer," he went on, "The slayer's chosen duty is to protect the world from the creatures of the night. You are one who is Chosen to become the next slayer if the current one dies."_

_            "And I'm supposed to believe that?" she asked, "It sounds like something out of a cartoon."_

_            "It is real and you must believe me!" he urged._

_            "Giles!" Cindy called from the end of the hall._

_            She was peering out the window that was facing the front of the complex and out to the street._

_            "They're here!" she exclaimed._

_            "Look, you must come with us. There is something very bad after you and it wants you dead!" he shouted to the girl._

_            "Here they come!" Cindy shouted as three Bringers charged up the stairs closest to her._

_            She gripped a pipe overhead and kicked the one in front. It made the others fall back down the stairs._

_            "Giles!" Cindy yelled, "We need to leave! Now!"_

_            Two more Bringers appeared at the other end of the hall. The other three managed to get up the stairs. Cindy ran to Giles and urged him that it was time to go. Cindy was fed up. She grabbed Amber and put her over Giles' shoulders. She grabbed a Bringer and tossed it through the window. It knocked another out with it. She picked up a fallen dagger and stabbed the remaining one, blocking their way._

_            Cindy and Giles, with Amber on his back, proceeded down the stairs and out of the building. Cindy glanced off to the front desk and noticed that the lady at the desk had been killed._

_            The two Bringers followed them down the stairs. Giles ran out the door first, Cindy followed. Just as one Bringer was about to come through the door, she slammed it on its face. _

_            "That should buy us some time!" she exclaimed, "We need to run though!"_

_            The three of them made it to the end of the road and stopped to catch their breath. Giles put the young girl down._

_            "What the hell were those?" she demanded._

_            "They are the things that want to kill you," Giles informed._

_            "Uh…Giles?" Cindy began._

_            "Yes?"_

_            "They're back."_

_            "I can't take this anymore!" Amber shouted._

_            She turned and headed off into the woods. The Bringers were drawing closer._

_            "Go after her!" Giles shouted._

_            "But what about you?" she asked._

_            "I'll be fine!" he yelled, "Just save her!"_

_            Cindy didn't hesitate. She ran off into the woods after the young slayer candidate. Her slayer strength allowed her to run fast and she quickly caught up with the young girl. She grabbed the girl's arm._

_            "Stop!" Cindy shouted and gripped her arm tightly._

_            The girl stopped and caught her breath._

_            "This is all just a horrible nightmare. I'm gonna wake up and I'll be back in my apartment," Amber told her._

_            Suddenly three Bringers came crashing through the underbrush. _

_            "Sorry to tell you this, but it isn't a dream!" Cindy yelled and picked up the girl._

_            She was running pretty fast, but the Bringers were catching up quickly. She reached a small clearing, where she was ready to fight. She put the girl down at the other end and turned to face the Bringers._

_            The Bringers came crashing into the clearing. They wielded their normal weapons, axes and daggers. They rushed her. She tripped one, causing the other two to trip and fall. Cindy took this opportunity to arm herself. She ripped a dagger out of one of their hands. _

_            She raised her arm and brought it down in a quick pace. Something gripped her arm in midair and prevented her from stabbing the Bringer. They stood up and backed off. Cindy broke the grip, turned and gave whatever it was that had grabbed her, a sharp kick._

_            She turned around slowly and came face to face with an Ubervamp. Amber screamed. Cindy spun around to see Amber being dragged to the opposite end of the clearing by the Bringers. She tried to run to her, but the Ubervamp gripped her by her throat and tossed her into a tree trunk. The last thing she saw was the Ubervamp advance on Amber. Then it all got dark._

            Cindy knew that this one was dead and then remembered Giles. It was now morning and she hadn't returned to him with the potential slayer. She had no clue of how she could get out of this forest and back into town to locate Giles. 

Underground Cave:

            "Still fighting?" Harmony asked Spike, "Just give it up already. You can't win!"

            Spike was still in the clutches of the First. He had taken several severe beatings and was starting to lose faith. It dawned on him that the First was right, Buffy wasn't coming for him. The First was now torturing in the form of Harmony, one of his exes. Luckily for him, the Ubervamp hadn't beaten him in a few days. 

            "Give up!" she snickered, "She isn't coming for you! You've been here for weeks already and she hasn't even tried. She can't beat my Ubervamp!"

            Spike didn't reply because he knew that it was right. He knew Buffy didn't need him. She'd rather have him die. He just hung there, lifelessly.

Buffy's House:

            "Buff, can't you just take the Ubervamp on again, one on one?" Xander questioned.

            "Xander, I've taken it on twice, one on one and was unable to beat it both times," she replied, "I need a new strategy. The only problem is…I've run out of ideas."

            "I've got it!" Anya exclaimed.

            "Got what?" Xander questioned.

            "We draw the Ubervamp back to the construction site and Buffy kills it there," she told them.

            "That doesn't have anything to do with how she's going to beat it," Willow argued.

            "Yes, it does," Buffy disagreed.

            "How's that?" Xander asked.

            "There is plenty of equipment there that I could use to my advantage," she went on, "We just have to find out where it is and lure it there."

            "I know how you can kill it!" Anya exclaimed, "You cut its head off. That is the only way to kill something that is supposedly immortal."

            "She has a point there," Xander agreed.

            "Then I guess I'll need one of these," Buffy smirked, walking over to the weapons chest and pulling out an axe. We're going to need to survey the construction site and figure out areas that I can use to my advantage."

            "I'll go with you," Xander said.

That Night:

            Buffy and Xander spent the rest of the afternoon surveying the construction site. They had a pretty good plan all laid out that she had to follow in order to beat the Ubervamp. All she needed to do was find a way to draw it to the site without getting herself or anyone else killed.

            "Xander!" Buffy called from the kitchen.

            Xander came walking in from the living room. 

            "Yes?" he asked.

            "I'm going to need the girls there to watch me beat it," she informed.

            "Why?"

            "They need to have confidence in my ability to fight and show them that we can defeat the First and its minions."

            "That's a great idea!"

            Just then the telephone rang. Buffy walked over to pick it up.

            "Hello?"

            "Hello. Are you Buffy Summers?"

            "Yes, I am. Who is this?"

            "I am from the Coven in England. I take it Rupert Giles has already informed you about us."

            "Oh. Yes, he has."

            "I have some important news."

            "Let's here it."

            "There is a slayer candidate that has just arrived in Sunnydale."

            "Would you possibly know where she would be?"

            "She is staying in a motel on the southern border of Sunnydale. She is looking for you house and is in danger."

            "I'll get on it right away!"

            "Hurry before they get her!"

            "Thanks for your help. Goodbye."

            "Goodbye."

            Buffy hung up the phone and headed to get her coat.

            "Buffy, what's wrong?" Xander questioned.

            "Change of plans. We aren't gonna go after the Ubervamp tonight. A potential slayer just arrived in Sunnydale and I have to find her before the Bringers get to her," Buffy replied.

            "I'm going with you. You'll need the help," he told her.

            The two left the house and got in Xander's car. They sped away towards the southern border of Sunnydale.

Motel on the Border of Town:

            A young girl gripped her key as she headed to the door of her apartment. She had just arrived in town and was looking for someone. She had been informed that she would be safe here in Sunnydale. She came to her door and slid the key in the lock. Just then, she heard a loud crash from behind her.

            She quickly spun around and came face to face with a hooded figure. She gasped and jumped back. The figure carried an axe. It brought it back and swung it forward. She screamed in horror.


	8. Welcome

Welcome

Episode 8

Motel Outside of Sunnydale:

            The figure brought the axe down. The girl screamed in horror. This looked like the end for her. Everything seemed like it was in slow motion. Suddenly, the girl was pushed out of the way and to the ground. The axe came down and got stuck in the door.

            "Are you okay?" the woman who tackled her asked.

            "I think so," Danielle replied.

            The woman kicked the figure and it fell off the balcony. The woman stood up and helped her up. 

            "Thank you," Danielle said.

            "It's all in a day's work," the woman replied.

            "Who are you?" 

            "My name is Buffy and you must be Danielle."

            "You're Buffy? The slayer?"

            "That's right. We should get out of here now."

            Buffy lead the girl down the steps and to the street, where Xander was waiting in his car. She opened the back-left door for Danielle to get in.

            "Buffy, watch out!" Xander shouted.

            Buffy spun around and came face to face with a Bringer, wielding two daggers. She ducked and the daggers smashed the window. She gave it a side-kick in the head, causing it to stumble to the side. It quickly regained its balance and slashed the daggers at Buffy. She dodged the first one, but the second sliced her arm. Luckily it wasn't that deep. 

            She kicked the Bringer in the chest and it fell backwards to the ground. She opened the passenger door and got in.

            "Let's go, Xander!" she exclaimed.

            Xander pushed down the gas pedal and the car sped away into the night.

Buffy's House:

            "Jake, is Buffy home yet?" Willow called from the kitchen.

            "Not yet!" he answered.

            It was pretty late out and all the four potential slayers were all lying on the living room floor talking. Jake was lying on the couch, covering his head with the pillow.

            "I don't know about you slayer trainees, but I know I need my sleep," he said, taking the pillow off of his head.

            "Do you think the Ubervamp got Buffy and Xander?" Annabelle asked.

            "No," Kennedy replied, "Buffy is smarter than that vampire. I mean even if it beat her twice, she can still run from it."

            Julia put in, "And besides, they took the car so they can easily outrun anything."

            Willow emerged from the kitchen holding a glass of water. 

            "You four really need to get some sleep. You're all gonna be exhausted tomorrow," Willow told them.

            "Alright, I guess we'll go to bed now," Molly said.

            "What?" Jake questioned, "How come they listen to you?"

            "It's because I'm a girl, that's why," Willow smirked.

            "Yeah, whatever," Jake said.

            Just then the front door opened and Xander walked in, followed by Buffy and another blonde girl.

            "How'd it go?" Willow asked.

            "Not good," Buffy told her, "She almost got killed. I got to her just before her head got personal with an axe."

            "Well at least she's safe," Willow replied.

            "Danielle, this is Willow," Buffy introduced, "That's Jake, Molly, Kennedy, Julia, and Annabelle."

            "Hi Danielle," Annabelle welcomed.

            "Hello," Molly said.

            Danielle walked over and sat down in between the circle of sleeping bags. The five girls began to share stories. 

            "Where's Anya?" Xander asked.

            "I think she's upstairs, asleep," Willow replied.

            "At least someone is getting sleep," Jake added.

The Next Day:

            "Alright girls," Buffy began, "I guess that you could call this your first official day of training. Now this training area is for your use whenever you'd like. That's why it was set up."

            The five potential slayers all stood in a line facing Buffy. They all had their attention focused on her.

            "How many of you have ever seen a vampire?" she asked.

            Kennedy, Annabelle, Danielle, and Molly all raised their hands.

            "Ok, who has ever fought a vampire?"

            None of them raised their hands.

            "My watcher wanted me to stay away from vampires because she thought I wasn't ready," Molly spoke up.

            "That's ok. At least you're all on the same track here," Buffy said, "Who has used a crossbow or any other weapon besides a stake?"

            Kennedy, Molly, and Annabelle raised their hands. 

            "Ok, so this won't be too hard," she said.

            "Buffy!" Willow called from upstairs, "Another one is here in Sunnydale."

            "We'll have to resume this training later," Buffy said and headed up the stairs. 

She stopped and turned at the top, "Feel free to use any of the equipment," she said and then opened the door.

Sunnydale High School:

            "I really don't think that this is the safest place for a potential to be," Xander said as he drove her to the front parking lot, "This place has every source of evil possible."

            "I don't think Bringers would go to a place like a school in the middle of the day even if the school is located on the hellmouth," Buffy reassured.

            "Oh really," Xander pointed, "You wanna change your mind."

            Buffy looked up and saw about five Bringers sneaking around the building and climbing in a window. Buffy didn't wait around. She opened the door and headed into the school.

            She ran towards the room where the Bringers were entering the school. She hoped that she could take on five of them without getting caught. She turned the corner and ran smack into her boss, Principle Wood. They both fell to the ground.

            "Buffy?" he questioned, "What are you doing here on your day off?"

            "Oh, Principal Wood," Buffy stuttered, "I'm sorry. I left something here yesterday."

            "Well why don't you wait here and I'll go get it," he told her.

            "No that's really okay," she said, standing up, "I really don't know where it is. I forget where I left it."

            "Alright, suit yourself," he said and continued walking the way he was going. 

            Buffy continued her race down the hall. She burst into the classroom where the Bringers entered. It was completely empty. Buffy caught her breath. She was really puzzled. 

            "There's no way that all five of them could have gotten in the school that quickly and gotten out of this room without me seeing them," she wondered aloud.

            That's when she heard all this yelling outside of the room. She pushed open the door and saw a whole crowd of students come running down the hall, chased by Bringers. She slid back into the room and waited for the crowd to pass. Just as the Bringers came running by, she jumped out at them, knocking the five of them over.

            Buffy quickly rolled out from between them and stood up. The Bringers began swinging their weapons blindly. She grabbed an axe out of one of their hands and brought it down on three of their heads. The other two stood up and slashed their daggers at her. She quickly disposed of them by removing their heads also.

            Xander came running into the hallway. He was out of breath.

            "Are you okay?" he asked.

            "I'll be fine," she replied, "We need to find this potential before more show up."

            "Where do we start?" he questioned.

            "Well a whole group of people came running down the hall," she began, "My guess is it was one of them."

            "Then off we go!" Xander exclaimed sarcastically.

            He and Buffy then set off down the hallway. After a few minutes of roaming the halls, they ended up in the gym. 

            "Well, the tour is over," Xander said, "And no slayer wannabe."

            "Help!" someone yelled.

            Buffy spun around and burst into the girl's locker room. She dashed around rows of lockers until she came face to face with the Ubervamp.

            "Oh great," she muttered to herself.

            The Ubervamp punched Buffy in the chest, causing her to fly backwards into the lockers. It advanced on her before she could get up. It rammed her into the lockers again and again. She had several cuts all over her face and her clothing was torn.

            "Oh my god!" a girl yelled.

            The Ubervamp turned away from beating Buffy to face the girl. Buffy glanced up through her blood-covered eyes. The girl screamed as the ancient vampire headed for her. Buffy regained her senses and stood up. She rushed the Ubervamp, knocking it to the ground.

            "No more killing for you," she said to the vampire when they both fell to the floor.

            The Ubervamp tossed her back into the lockers. Then it turned to face the girl again. Buffy stood up and picked up a broken locker door. She ran at the vampire and swung the door at it. 

            The vampire fell to the ground. Buffy continued beating it with the door. Blood began seeping from its skin. At least she knew that she could hurt it now. The Ubervamp reached out and grabbed her leg, tripping her. The door clattered to the ground. The vampire got to its feet and picked up the door. He brought the door down on Buffy. She cried out in pain. It continually hit her with the door.

            Suddenly the Ubervamp growled loudly in pain as it burst into flames. It ran to the windows of the locker room and crashed through into the gym, still on fire. Buffy peered up out of blood-covered eyes. Everything began to get dark and she passed out.

Buffy's House:

            Willow entered the house, followed by a younger girl and Xander, who was carrying Buffy on his shoulders. 

            "What happened?" Anya questioned.

            She was seated on the couch, but rushed over to help when they came in.

            "Buffy had another encounter with the Ubervamp," Xander told her, "Luckily Willow showed up and torched the Ubervamp."

            "Is it dead?" Anya questioned.

            "I doubt it," Willow replied, "It crashed through the locker room windows though."

            "Is Buffy gonna be okay?" Kennedy asked, entering the room.

            "Yes, but if she had taken anymore hits from the Ubervamp, she would be dead," Xander said, "She took a few beatings with a locker door."

            "Ouch," Kennedy said.

            "But she should be okay," he informed. 

            He went over to the couch and laid Buffy down. Willow came over and rubbed a wet cloth over her face, getting off the blood. Then she bandaged up Buffy's face. She was pretty beat up.

            There came a knock at the door just then. Willow got up to answer it, while Xander continued bandaging Buffy. She gripped the doorknob and pulled it open. Standing on the porch was Giles.

            "Oh my god, Giles!" Willow exclaimed, embracing him in a hug.

            "Hello Willow," he said, smiling, "It's good to see you again too."

            Just then, several girls shoved their way into the house. 

            "Oh I almost forgot," he apologized, "Willow, this is Vi, Rona, Chloe, Eve, Amanda, and Chao-Ahn."

            "Nice to meet you all," she said.

            Apparently they didn't hear her because none of them replied. Xander came into the front hall as Giles stepped in and he and Willow moved into the hall.

            "What has happened here? Where is Buffy?" he asked.

            "Buffy had an encounter with the Ubervamp again," Willow informed, "She took a pretty bad beating."

            "Where is she?" Giles questioned, concerned.

            "She is out cold," Xander told him, "Willow saved her life."

            "I warned all of you to be careful while I was out but it seems you don't obey advice," he scolded.

            "Giles, she was going to get another potential at the school," Willow began, "She ran into the Ubervamp, who was harassing the girl."

            "Until we figure out how to beat this vampire," Giles informed, "Everyone will stay indoors."      

            Kennedy walked into the room and heard a lot of noise coming from the kitchen. She walked in and came face to face with six other girls.

            "Oh great," she muttered, "More roommates."

            Anya entered the hall and rushed over and hugged Giles when she saw him.

            "It's great to see you again, Giles," she said.

            It's great to see you too, Anya," Giles replied.

            "Willow, who is the potential that you guys brought back from the school?" Anya questioned.

            "Her name is Ashley," Willow replied.

            "How many potentials have you found while I was gone?" Giles questioned.

            "Only two," Willow replied, "Ashley and Danielle."

            Kennedy came into the front hall and looked upset.

            "What's wrong, Kennedy?" Willow asked.

            "Now I have seven more roommates," she replied, "How much more can this house fit?"

            "Apparently a lot more," Xander answered.

            "Don't worry Kennedy," Willow encouraged, "The five of you will get along well with the new potentials."

            "I'm not worried about that," she said, "It's just all the people that will be living here now. There's Buffy, you, Xander, Anya, Jake, me, Molly, Annabelle, Julia, Danielle, and now Giles and the seven new potentials. I mean that's a lot of people. That's eighteen people living in this small house."

            "It'll be fine," Willow reassured, "The living room can fit most of you in sleeping bags. Trust me everything will be okay."

            "I hope so," Kennedy replied, before disappearing into the basement where the other five were.

            "Well she doesn't seem to be too happy," Xander said.

            "You got that right," Willow agreed, "It's gonna be hard living with this many people."

            "Well, like she said," Xander began, "Eighteen people in one house and only one bathroom."


	9. Rescue

Rescue

Episode 9

Buffy's House:

            Buffy awoke from a deep sleep. Her head hurt like crazy. She slowly sat up and glanced down at her arms. There were several small cuts and scrapes on her arms. Then she remembered her encounter with the Ubervamp and how it had beaten her with the locker door. 

            She stood up and headed downstairs into chaos. There was shouting and screaming coming from everywhere in the house.

            "What is going on in here?" Buffy shouted.

            Willow came walking into the front hall. 

            "Buffy, you're up!" Willow exclaimed.

            "What's going on?" she questioned the witch.

            "Well, we managed to get you and the potential back here. Giles showed up with six new girls and now we have twelve of them staying here. In other words, this place is like a living hell."

            "At least we have more troops," she said, "But now the chances of getting in the bathroom are even slimmer."

            Just then Giles passed through the front hall from the kitchen.

            "Willow, these girls are driving me absolutely…Buffy!" he exclaimed.

            Buffy and Willow turned towards Giles. Buffy embraced him in a big hug.

            "I'm glad to see that you are up and moving," he said.

            "You found all the potentials?" she questioned, ignoring his statement.

            "I found all the ones that were currently known of, but I'm sure there are others out there," he replied, "I mean you found two that were here in Sunnydale. I'm sure more will turn up over the weeks."

            "Oh goodie," she said, sarcastically.

            "Willow, what happened after it beat me with the locker door?" she asked.

            "Luckily for you, Xander text-messaged me and said you were in danger," she began, "I showed up and used a spell to chase the vampire away."

            "Is the Ubervamp dead?" she asked.

            "I highly doubt it," Willow replied.

            "Is the girl all right?" Buffy questioned.

            "Yes," Willow informed, "She is doing just fine."

            "Where are they all now?" she asked.

            "Just follow the screaming," Giles replied.

            Buffy turned and walked into the kitchen. Then she opened the basement door and headed down into the screaming mess. Xander, Jake, and Anya were down there trying to stop the fighting.

            As she walked down, Xander and the others turned their attention to her. The twelve girls continued fighting. She cleared her throat, but the girls continued fighting. She cleared it louder. That's when they all noticed her.

            "Listen up!" she exclaimed, "I am in charge here. You all must put an effort into this. Not just me. It seems that all I'm doing is babysitting you. I know that more than half of you are new and I haven't even met you but still. I will not sit around and baby-sit you all. You are all slayer candidates and have power inside of you to fight and you will use it."

            Everyone just stared at her in confusion. Her friends all seemed to agree with her. They knew that they were staying in a house with people containing incredible powers. 

            "Giles!" Buffy called.

            Immediately, Giles appeared at the top of the basement stairs. He didn't seem like he had even been doing something. 

            "Yes, Buffy?" he asked.

            "These girls need to learn that I am not here to protect them, to keep them alive," she told him, "I am here to protect the world. They need to start training."

            "But Buffy," he began, "The Turok Han is still loose."

            "Not for long," she said, "I will be back by morning." 

            She turned and headed up the stairs, leaving all her friends. They all stared in disbelief that she would go out and get beat up by the ancient vampire again. But no one went after her.

Downtown Sunnydale:

            Buffy had no clue about how to get the Ubervamp to come after her. She had one idea though. She thought that it would probably be around the caves where it was the first time that she saw it. So she headed there.

            As she headed through the streets of downtown Sunnydale, the amount of people walking around began to increase. She thought about how none of them knew of the great dangers that would soon be on them.  

            She finally came to the woods. There was no sign of anyone around, so she silently snuck off the road. She pulled out her flashlight and began shining it along the ground, looking for the hole where she had fallen through weeks earlier. She continued walking along, not finding any trace of a hole.

            "Damn!" she muttered under her breath.

            She continued walking along through the dark woods. She began to get frustrated. 

            "Buffy!" she heard someone call.

            She spun around in search of the person calling her name. It sounded feminine. She couldn't figure out who would be walking around in the woods besides her. It was probably a trap.

            "Buffy, where are you?" the girl called.

            Buffy in some bushes and waited for the girl to come walking by. A few moments later, a small figure came walking in front of the bushes that Buffy was hiding behind. Buffy realized who it was when she saw a brief glimpse of her face.

            "Kennedy?" Buffy questioned, standing up, "What the hell are you doing here?"

            "I followed you," she replied.

            "You can't just follow me out here into the woods!" Buffy scolded, "It's too dangerous, especially with the Ubervamp still on the loose! You could have been killed!"

            "Buffy, I'm fine!" Kennedy yelled back, "I just need to get out, away from the other girls."

            "Well, now that you're here, there's nothing I can really do," Buffy told her, "You might as well stay and help out. Just be careful!"

            "What are you doing out here?" Kennedy questioned.

            "I need to take out that Ubervamp," she replied, "And rescue Spike."

            "What makes you think that it's out here in the woods?" Kennedy asked.

            "This is where it was the first time that I fought it," Buffy replied, shining her flashlight around, looking for the hole.

            The two girls continued their search in complete silence. Just as the search was looking pretty hopeless, Kennedy screamed and then disappeared.

            "Kennedy!" Buffy shouted.

            She used the flashlight to scan for the hole. She bent down and peered inside. It was completely dark. She shone the flashlight down and saw Kennedy lying on her back, on the ground. She saw something move quickly in the shadows down below.

            Suddenly, the Ubervamp loomed into view. It walked up to Kennedy's unconscious body and growled loudly. It didn't even notice Buffy. Buffy didn't hesitate at all. She jumped down into the hole and landed on the vampire's shoulders. It growled in anger. 

            It reached up and grabbed her by the neck and tossed her across the cave. Instead of continuing its attack on Kennedy, it hurried after Buffy. Buffy stood up and back flipped away from it. She then gave it a roundhouse kick, causing it to stumble backwards.

            "Getting weak," Buffy said silently.

            The Ubervamp swung its massive arm at her, but she dove out of the way. Its fist shattered some rocks and sent pieces flying all over. Buffy rolled out of the way of the rocks and stood up. She gave it a jump kick, causing it to fall into the wall of the cave.

            Kennedy sat up and rubbed her back. It hurt like hell. She glanced around, realizing that she could see nothing. She peered up and noticed a hole at the top of the cave. The moon was brightly shining in. She then heard loud noises all around her and began to panic.

            Buffy kept the upper hand against the ancient vampire. Her punches and kicks were finally effective against the vampire. The vampire swung at her again. This time instead of rolling out of the way, she ducked and pulled out a stake. She stood up and shoved the stake into the vampire's eye. It howled in pain and anger and began blindly swinging at Buffy. She back flipped out of the way and ended up behind the vampire.

            Kennedy slowly stood up; glancing around to see what was making the loud noises. She heard the loud growls of pain and anger. They frightened her. She had a feeling she would be facing whatever it was, all alone.

            Buffy came up from behind the vampire and grabbed on either side of its head. She gripped tightly and twisted the head in a sharp jolt. There was a loud crack that echoed throughout the cavern. The vampire fell to the ground and then exploded into dust. Buffy had done it. She had beaten the vampire that had been threatening her and the others for weeks. She breathed a sigh of relief and caught her breath.

            That's when she remembered Kennedy. She turned around and headed towards the moonlit area of the cave. There stood Kennedy, her breaths were shallow and quick. Her breathing slowed as she saw Buffy.

            "What happened?" Kennedy asked in a quiet voice.

            "It's dead," Buffy replied.

            "You killed it!" Kennedy exclaimed, still in a quiet voice.

            "Come on," Buffy said, "We have something to get before we leave."

An Underground Cavern:

            Spike hung from the wall of the cave. He was in a lot of pain, but at least the First had stopped the harsh beatings. It had gone away and hadn't returned in a while. Spike was breathing loudly and was barely conscious. There were cuts and bruises all over his body. 

            He had given up hope on Buffy coming to rescue him a long time ago. He knew that she didn't care for him; that she could care less if he lived or died. He peered out of his swollen eyes, into the dimly torch-lit cavern.

            He got a glance of a shadow coming into the room, but paid no attention to it. He knew that the First was back to torture him. 

            "Spike?" he heard a voice.

            He opened his eyes and returned his glance to the entrance of the room. There were two girls coming towards him. One looked older and had blond hair. The other was younger and had brunette hair. The blond girl pulled out a knife.

            "You've taken to using a bloody weapon," Spike said in a whisper, "Given up with that bloody vampire?"

            Neither girl replied. The blonde girl came right up to him and cut the rope holding his left arm on the wall. His hand fell onto her shoulder.

            "Buffy?" he questioned.

            Buffy quickly cut the rope holding up his other arm and caught him as he fell. She helped him to his feet and then pulled his arm over her shoulder, letting him lean on her. Kennedy let Spike rest on her and the three walked out of the cave together.

Buffy's House:

            Xander awoke a little worried at what this day would bring. Buffy had gone off the night before, saying she would be back by morning. Shortly afterwards, Kennedy snuck out and still hadn't returned. 

            He stood up and walked into the noisy kitchen, bustling with S-I-Ts. Anya and Willow stood in the far corner, looking concerned.

            "No Buffy?" he asked.

            Both nodded their heads no. That's when he began to get even more nervous. Both she and Kennedy could have been killed. Kennedy was the strongest and best of the potentials. If they lost her, they'd be weaker. If Buffy had been killed, they were without a friend and leader.

            Just then, the back door burst open. A duffel bag was tossed in. Kennedy walked in and smiled.

            "Good morning," she said.

            "Are you all right?" Willow questioned.

            "Yes, I'm fine," Kennedy replied and walked over to the counter and poured herself a bowl of cereal, "Although I am starving."

            A few moments later, Buffy and someone covered in blanket came walking in the door. The person was apparently injured and was leaning against Buffy. She closed the door behind her and walked the person over to a chair. Buffy pulled the blanket off the person and they all gasped.

            Spike sat there, bruised and beaten. He looked so weak. He was without a shirt and his chest was covered in cuts and he was bloody. Giles and Jake walked into the room. They were amazed.

            "It's dead," Buffy said, tossing the blanket down the basement stairs, "You all should be safe for now. 

            She turned and headed upstairs. She was exhausted from her earlier fight and just wanted to sleep. She had accomplished what she had been trying to accomplish for weeks now. Finally she could rest, knowing that the potentials would be safe for now.


	10. Training

Training

Episode 10

Buffy's House:

            The house was bustling with activity. The girls were all excited that they could finally leave the house now that the Ubervamp was dead. The house was filled with enthusiasm. 

            It was pretty crowded living with that many people in the house. And now that Spike was there, it was even worse. It wasn't like he took up much room though. He and Buffy agreed that it would be best if he stayed in the basement. They also agreed to have him chained up in the basement whenever she wasn't with him. That way if the First tried to manipulate him again, he wouldn't harm anyone. 

            Buffy was sitting down the basement with Spike. He was chained up.

            "Bloody hell!" he exclaimed, "Those bloody girls are just too much!"

            "I know," Buffy replied, "I haven't had a bathroom to myself in a long time."

            "How can you put up with all of them?" he questioned, "I mean I sleep down here and it's pretty bad."

            "I don't know," she said, "I just do."

            They sat in silence for a few moments, thinking. Then Buffy spoke up.

            "What happened to you after they took you away?" she asked.

            "I don't remember really," he replied, "I just remember being down here and then getting knocked out. When I came to, I was hanging from this circle thing above a seal. The bloody blokes cut me open and this nasty creature crawled out."

            "The Ubervamp," Buffy muttered under her breath.

            "What was that?" he asked.

            "Nothing," she replied, "Go on."

            "Everyday, the First would torture me with this creature. I don't know what it was but it was a hell of a lot stronger than me. At night it would disappear and then return in the morning and resume my beatings. Right before you and that girl showed up, it had gone off," he continued.

            "I killed it," she spoke.

            "Huh?" 

            "I dusted it inside the caves. Kennedy and I fell in there and it attacked us. I had been trying to kill it for weeks now. Every time that I went up against it, I ended up getting knocked out. It never seemed to kill me though."

            "It's not after you. It had strict orders not to kill you."

            "What?"

            "The First would tell it to go out and have some fun, just not to kill the slayer. It only wants the girls dead for now. It wants to save you for later."

Downtown Sunnydale:

            Willow and Kennedy had gone out for food. It was getting pretty late out. They were heading out of the restaurant. Willow didn't know what Kennedy was trying to do, but she was being a little flirty. Willow just went along with her.

            They were walking out of the restaurant, when Willow bumped smack into a man. Both of them fell to the ground.

            "Oh my god," Willow said, "I am so sorry."

            Kennedy reached down and pulled Willow up by her arms. They glanced down to see if the man was okay. Willow gasped when she saw who it was.

            "What are you doing here?" she questioned.

            Andrew stood up and brushed himself off. He jumped at the strict voice.

            "Don't hurt me!" he pleaded, "I'm good now. Honest!"

            "Yeah, sure," she replied.

            "Willow, who is this guy?" Kennedy asked.

            "Long story, I'll explain later," she answered.

            "You're not going to kill me too, are you?" Andrew asked.

            "I don't know. Should I?" she asked, giving Kennedy a wink.

            She grabbed him by the shirt and pinned him against the wall of the building. He flinched when she put her fist up.

            "Are you gonna tell me what you're doing here?" she asked, angrily, "Why would you even show your face here again, after what you did?"

            "I've changed!" he exclaimed, "Really, I have!"

            That's when she noticed a knife lying on the ground where he had fallen.

            "What that?" she questioned.

            "I dunno," he lied.

Willow bent down and picked it up. Then she grabbed him by the arm and began pulling him after her and Kennedy.

Buffy's House:

            "Giles, we have to figure out someway to stop the First from coming after him," Buffy told him.

            "I know, Buffy," he replied, "But I just don't know how."

            Giles and Buffy were standing in the living room. They had finally gotten the girls to go train in the basement with Jake and Xander. They were a handful, but the guys could handle them.

            "Isn't there some kind of spell or ritual or something?" she asked.

            "Like I said, I just don't know," he replied.

            Just then, the door flew up. Buffy stood in a fighting pose, ready for a threat. A man was shoved in, rather roughly.

            "Andrew?" Buffy questioned.

            Willow and Kennedy came walking in after him.

            "We found him walking around downtown," she began, "Well actually, he ran into me. I found a knife after he stood up."

            "It has weird carvings on the blade," Kennedy said, handing it to Buffy.

            She took the knife from her hand. She and Giles began examining it thoroughly. 

            "I'm brought him back here so he could answer a few questions," Willow told her.

            "I'm not telling anything!" he shouted.

            "Oh I think you will," Buffy smirked, pushing him on the couch.

            Andrew sat on the couch, scared. Buffy glared at him

            "Where'd you get this knife?" she asked.

            "Uh…Mexico," he answered.

            "So that's where you and Jonathan went off to," she said, "So where's Jonathan?"

            "I don't know," he replied.

            "What is this knife for?" she questioned.

            "Cutting steak?" he said, unsure.

            "What the hell are you using this knife for?" she demanded.

            Everyone that was in the room was taken aback by Buffy's sudden outburst of anger. Of course, none of them said anything. Giles continued looking over the carvings on the knife.

            "Alright!" Andrew shouted, "I killed him! I killed Jonathan!"

            Everyone stood there in shock as Andrew began spilling his guts. He was telling them everything that he had done.

            "Warren told me to do it. He appeared to me in Mexico and told me to stab Jonathan," Andrew went on, "I bought the knife like he told me to. We came back here to uncover a seal and show you guys. While we were unburying it, Warren appeared again and told me to stab him and it would open the seal. And I did!"

            "The seal?" Giles questioned.

            "The one in the basement of the high school," Buffy replied.

            "It opened?" Giles asked.

            "Yes," Buffy told him, "And the Ubervamp was the thing that came out of it. Wait a second!"

            "What is it?" Willow asked.

            "You said that Jonathan's blood was spilled onto the seal?" Buffy asked Andrew.

            "Yes," he replied. 

            "Well why didn't it open then?" she asked.

            "Warren said that it wasn't enough," he said.

            "That means that Spike's blood was the final key to opening it," she concluded.

            "Spike's blood was used to open a seal?" Giles asked.

            "When Spike was captured, they hung him over the seal and cut him. They used his blood to open this seal and the Ubervamp came out," she informed. 

            "Buffy, if what you say of this seal is true," Giles began, "Then it must be hidden or better yet, destroyed!"

            "Could this seal be the door of the hellmouth?" Willow questioned.

            "That is a good question that could use research to answer," Giles replied.

            "I'll get on it," Willow responded, "Come on, Kennedy."

            Willow and Kennedy disappeared from the family room, leaving Giles and Buffy to talk. Andrew had followed Willow and Kennedy, since Buffy had gotten all the info out of him. 

            "Buffy, that sorcerer from last year came out of that seal," Giles reminded, "That has to be how the First brings his agents into our world."

            "We need to figure out how to destroy it," she said, "Or at least how to stop it from bringing more creatures to Sunnydale."

            "I will go help Willow research this seal and find out about what else could come out of it," Giles told her, "Why don't you take some of the girls out training?"

            "Sounds good," she said.

The Cemetery:

Buffy and Spike had taken five of the potential slayers out to train. They had taken Kennedy, Julia, Rona, Vi, and Danielle to the cemetery. None of them had ever seen a vampire before and it was about time that they had. They needed to get their first lesson in how to slay on.

            "Since none of you have ever even seen a vampire before, this is gonna be an interesting lesson," Buffy told them, "One thing is you will definitely see at least one vampire tonight."

            The seven of them continued their walk through the dark cemetery. All the girls looked scared, except for Kennedy, who seemed confident. Buffy smirked when she saw this. She knew that not many of them would last long against a vampire.

            "Oh look!" Buffy exclaimed.

            All the girls turned their heads to where she was looking. She was pointing to a headstone, where an arm had just popped up.

            "This shouldn't be too hard," she whispered to Spike.

            The girls didn't move or say anything. They all seemed frozen with fear.

            "It's a newly-sired vampire," Buffy told them, "Who wants to slay it?"

            None of them jumped with excitement and she didn't expect them to. Kennedy gripped her crossbow tight and ran towards the new vampire. It smirked when it saw her.

            "Let's see if Kennedy has what it takes to slay a vampire," Buffy said to the girls. 

            Kennedy ran at the vampire. When she was about ten feet away, she fired a bolt, hitting the vampire in the shoulder. That seemed to piss it off. It charged Kennedy, knocking her to the ground. The crossbow bounced into the grass a few feet away. The vampire jumped on top of Kennedy, but she kicked it off to the side and managed to stand up.

            Buffy, who was standing just close enough to interfere if Kennedy needed help, smiled as she saw how well the young girl was handling herself against the vampire. Kennedy tripped the vampire and made a run for the crossbow. The vampire grabbed her leg, trying to twist it. She gave it a sharp front kick to the face, shattering its nose. She turned and ran over to the crossbow and picked it up. 

            The vampire stood up and attempted to go after her. It was stopped dead in its tracks when a crossbow bolt punctured its heart. It yelled out in pain and horror as it exploded into dust. Kennedy turned to Buffy, who smiled happily at her successful first slaying. 

Buffy's House:

            Buffy, Spike, and the girls returned home. Each of them managed to slay a vampire on their own, without any help. Buffy was pleased with each of them. She had thought she'd be protecting defenseless girls from the oncoming apocalypse. Boy was she wrong.

            "You all did great," she congratulated as they entered the house, "I'm proud of all of you."

            "Thank you," Kennedy replied.

            Giles and Willow entered the family room as the girls were filing out.

            "How was training?" Giles asked.

            "Good," Buffy replied, "All the girls staked a vampire on their own."

            "That's good," Willow said, smiling.

            "What have you two found out?" she asked.

            "Well, the seal is known as the Seal of Danthalzar. It can only be activated by the blood of something. The result of it opening is a Turok Han. The knife that Andrew had is the only thing that can be used to spill the first drops of blood," Willow explained.

            "How is it closed?" Spike questioned.

            "Well it said that it must be closed by the person who opened it," she went on.

            "Which means Andrew," Buffy put in.

            "It's quite a simple process for closing it," Willow continued, "The person that first spilled blood, Andrew, must express sorrow for whatever he killed and his tears must be spilled on the seal. That will close the seal."

            "That shouldn't be too hard," Buffy said, "I have an idea of how I can get him to cry. We just have to wait a little until we let him get comfortable and then I'll get him."

            "You're gonna let him stay here?" Spike questioned.

            "He's a murderer!" Buffy exclaimed, "And I can't just let him go back on the streets because the First may manipulate him again and get him to kill."

            "But you can't," Willow argued.

            "I have to," Buffy said.

            "She has a point Willow," Giles added, "He may kill again if we let him back on the streets."

            "Hey everyone!" Andrew exclaimed, coming into the room, "I've baked cookies!"

            "Who said you could go in the kitchen and mess with the food?" Buffy demanded.

            Andrew dropped the cookie sheet and ran away. The cookies went everywhere.

            "Oh boy," she said, "He's gonna drive us crazy!"

The Next Day:

            Buffy had the girls in position in the backyard. She wanted to give them training exercises. It was like Tae Bo. The girls were arranged in four columns, three girls in each row. 

            "Alright, one…two…three…four…five" Buffy shouted, leading them in a punching exercise,"…six…seven…eight."

            The twelve of them all followed very well. Their punches were pretty good. Then Buffy noticed Kennedy. Her punches were perfect and she followed instructions very well. She was a natural at this stuff. She had a feeling that Kennedy would be the next slayer after her.

            Giles came outside to watch the training. He smiled when he saw how well Buffy was commanding the troops. She made a great leader. The potential that stood out the most to him was Kennedy. Her moves were pretty much flawless. He motioned for Buffy to come over to him.

            "Kennedy is doing great," he quietly said to her.

            "I know," Buffy replied, "She is a natural at martial arts. I think she is gonna be the next one after me."

            "You've forgotten the slayer line does not run through you anymore. If you die, another one will not be summoned," he reminded.

            "Giles, do you think Kennedy is the slayer now?" Buffy asked silently.

            "I'm not sure, Buffy," he replied, "We have no way of knowing as of now. But we will find out soon enough."

Wales, Europe:

            Cindy had failed in locating Giles in the town. The man that owned the hotel that they had stayed out had no clue where Giles had gone. All that she knew was that he had left a few days earlier. Now it was several weeks later and she was stuck in Wales with not enough money to buy a plane ticket home.

            She was wondering down the streets of Wales at night, when she was pulled into an alley. She was very scared, afraid that she would have to face the Ubervamp once again.

            "So you're the girl that has supposedly replaced me," someone spoke.

            Cindy's fears disappeared when she realized that it was a woman. She couldn't see who it was because of the shadows.

            "Replaced you? What are you talking about?" Cindy questioned.

            "Talk has been going around of a girl around here with super strength and speed and you are that girl," the woman spoke.

            "How would you know that?" Cindy asked.

            Ignoring the question, the woman said, "Well let me tell you something, you're not who you think you are. The magik was passed to you from a previous girl, Sarah."

            "What are you talking about?" 

            "You're powers are only temporary. You are not really the slayer. The girl before you was not really the slayer."

            "What? How can you know that?"

            "Buffy died and was resurrected. Because of that, the slayer line was altered. The line was passed to me. Because I never died, another slayer wasn't called. The council was curious about why a slayer wasn't called after Buffy disappeared and was presumed dead. They used magik to give the slayer powers to a girl, Dani. The powers were then passed on to Sarah, and then to you. These powers were temporary and are supposed to wear off after they have passed to the third girl. The council knew this and kept it a secret. Only top council members knew."

            "How would you know this?"    

            "I've been researching since I arrived here in Europe more than a year ago. I got separated from my Watcher during a battle and couldn't find him. I guess he is dead now."

            "You're a slayer?"

            "That's right!" the woman exclaimed, "The one and only, Faith!"

            "Oh my god!" Cindy exclaimed, "You're Faith, the rogue slayer?"

            "That's me!"

            "So everything that you just told me is true?" 

            "Yes, all of it."

            "How'd you find this out?"

            "Well a while back, I snuck into the Council of Watchers and stole some documents. I was a little confused at how there could be three slayers at once. And when I find out that info, I realized that it was impossible according to the slayer lore."

            "So I'm not really a slayer?"

            "Nope sorry, you're power will be gone soon. The papers I read said that the powers would be gone shortly after they were pasted along to the third girl."

            "Does Giles know this?"

            "Oh so you know Giles? That's interesting. No he doesn't. They kept it from him. By the way, what are you doing here?"

            Just then, a young girl came running towards them. She was out of breath and looked terrified.

            "What's wrong?" Faith asked.

            "They're after me!" she exclaimed, "You have to help me!"

            "Who is after you?" Faith questioned.

            "I think I know," Cindy said.

            "How?" Faith questioned.

            "Look, there's a lot that I haven't told you yet," she told Faith.


	11. Rogue

Rogue

Episode 11

Wales:  

            "Look, what is going on here?" Faith demanded, "Who is this girl?"

            "She's a potential slayer," Cindy informed.

            "Potential slayer?" 

            "She is next in line to be the slayer. Well not exactly her but any potential anywhere in the world."

            "You have to help me!" the girl exclaimed, "They'll be here any second!"

            "Who the hell is after her?" Faith demanded.

            "Their called Bringers," Cindy informed, "They are agents of the First."

            "The first what?" 

            "The First Evil."

            "Look, what the hell are you talking about?"

            "The First Evil found a mistake in the slayer line and has decided to take action. It's going around killing all girls who have the potential to become a slayer."

            "I disappear for a year and look what happens. A new creature tries to take over the world, one that has you all shivering. Well let me tell you something. I'm gonna kick this things ass!"

            "Sorry to disappoint you, but it doesn't have an ass. It can't take corporeal form."

            "What? Something that can't even touch you has Buffy all worked up?"

            "It's not about touch. It's about the power. It has power beyond belief. These creatures known as Bringers are going around terrorizing the potentials and killing them off. It also has another creature which is unknown to me. I faced it in these woods."

            "We're going to the Watcher's Council and figuring this crap out!" Faith exclaimed.

            "There's a slight problem with that."

            "A problem?"

            "There is no Watcher's Council. It got destroyed last year."

            "No old English people bossing me around anymore! Yes!"

            Ignoring her, Cindy went on, "That's why Giles and I came here to find a potential. There is no way of alerting the potentials of what they are. They have to be found. Giles was trying to gather as many as he could and bring them back to Sunnydale."

            Cindy and Faith turned their heads to the left as they heard sounds of approaching footsteps. The girl who was with them suddenly began to panic. 

            "Come on," Cindy whispered, "Back into the alley."

            The three girls quickly backed into the alley. Cindy and the girl hid behind some trashcans, while Faith remained hidden in the shadows. Faith kept her eyes on the street as the footsteps got closer. Several hooded figures ran by the alley quickly. She guessed that they were what were after the girl. The figures quickly passed. Cindy breathed a sigh of relief.

            Faith stepped out from the shadows and walked to the opening of the alley. She peered out and looked down the way that the figures had come from. She heard something whistle through the air and jumped back. An axe stuck into the boarded up part of the old building. 

            "What the hell!" Faith exclaimed.

            Suddenly, three hooded figures appeared out of no where, right in front of her. The one in front began swinging its daggers at her. Faith maneuvered all the slashes and then gave the figure a kick in the chest, causing it to fall back into the other two.

            "Faith!" Cindy shouted, "We have to get out of here!"

            "Why?" Faith questioned, "I can take these guys."

            "They're not after you," Cindy informed, "They're after her."

            Cindy grabbed the girl by the arm and dashed out of the alley. She jumped over the Bringers that Faith had knocked down. Faith realized that Cindy was serious and began to hurry after her. She hesitated, turned back and picked up the axe that was stuck in the wood. She brought it down on one Bringer's head. Then she took off after Cindy and the unknown girl.

Buffy's House, Sunnydale, California:

            Buffy had things under control around the house. She had managed to quiet down the potentials a little and was able to train them every day. She also managed to get to work every day too. The only thing that she wasn't able to control was Andrew.

            "What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

            Andrew was standing in the kitchen, pressing buttons on the microwave. He didn't seem to be having any luck getting it to work. He ignored Buffy and pulled out the instruction manual and began looking at that.

            "Having some trouble?" she asked.

            Andrew looked up from the instruction manual, acknowledging her presence.

            "Trying to cook a TV dinner," he said.

            "You are hopeless," she muttered under her breath and walked into the family room. 

            The rest of the group was scattered throughout the house. Some of the potentials were in the basement training, while the others were watching TV. Xander was reinforcing the basement door. Anya had disappeared. Spike was still chained up in the basement, watching Xander mess with the door. Giles and Willow were in research mode. She had no clue where Jake was.  

            Buffy sat down on the couch. The family room was completely empty, for once. She was exhausted. She needed a nap but she didn't want anyone realizing that she was weak.

            "Buffy, you should get some sleep," Willow said, walking into the room.

            "I can't Willow," she replied, "What kind of a leader would that make me?"

            "A good one," Willow answered.

            "Huh?"

            "You are stressing yourself out right now. We have some downtime right now. The First suffered a big loss after you killed the Ubervamp. It's probably busy trying to find out some way to get at us next. You can rest for now," she told Buffy.

            "I guess you're right, Will," Buffy said, "I will sleep."

            She lay down on the couch and slide a pillow under her head. Willow silently crept out of the room and went back to researching with Giles.

Wales:

            Cindy, Faith, and the potential slayer finally came to a stop in front of a motel. They were out of breath. Cindy turned and looked back the way they had come. The Bringers hadn't been chasing them. If they had, they hadn't followed on the road. 

            "They didn't chase us," Faith said, out of breath.

            "I think they just didn't follow on the road," Cindy said.

            "Why are they after me?" the girl asked.

            "You're a potential slayer," Cindy told her.

            "A what?" the girl questioned, "What's a slayer?"

            "A slayer is a girl chosen to protect the world from the creatures of the night," Cindy informed, "You are a slayer candidate. If the current slayer dies, a girl just like you or you may become the slayer."

            "I don't know why but for some reason, I believe you," the girl said.

            "What's your name?" Faith asked.

            "Elizabeth," she replied.

            "I'm Faith, the slayer and that's Cindy," she told the girl.

            "This is a first meeting for the three of us," Cindy said.

            Ignoring her, Faith said, "You should be safe with us for now. Do you mind if I call you Liz?"

            "No, not at all," Liz answered, "By the way, where are we going?"

            "That is a good question," Faith replied, "Where are we going?"

            "We have to find someway to get to Sunnydale," Cindy informed, "I just don't know how we are going to get there."

            "Well we can start by resting for the night and then we can continue in the morning," Faith said, "We can stay here."

The Next Day, A Port on the Coast of Wales:   

            "Alright," Faith began, "We need to take a boat out of this British country and get to the states."

            "And how do you plan to do that?" Cindy questioned.

            "It's not that complicated," Faith replied, "We just sneak aboard one of these cargo ships that's headed for the states." 

            "We will only land on the east coast, probably in New York City," Cindy said, "Then what do we do?"

            "We'll figure that out once we get there," Faith informed, "That will be a few days. Boat trips take a while."

            The three girls headed closer to the docks. It was a cold and cloudy day in Wales. They slowly crept closer to a large cargo boat. 

            "Now look," Faith began, "We just hide in one of these large boxes and we'll get inside no problem."

            She lifted the top off of the closest box and climbed inside. Liz climbed in next, followed by Cindy. Faith reached up and slid the lid back over the opening. A few minutes later, the box began to move. They were on their way to the states.

Somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean:

The cargo ship had set sail from the port in Wales yesterday. It was going to be a long journey to the United States, at least a week. The captain hadn't a clue what kind of cargo he had brought along on his ship. 

            Faith, Cindy, and Liz had quietly snuck out of the box from which they used to sneak onto the ship. Luckily for them, they were all used to sailing in the ocean. Little did the three girls know, they weren't the only ones that had snuck aboard the cargo ship. 

            "It's really dark in here," Liz said.

            "Let's look for a light!" Cindy exclaimed.

            "There are no lights in the cargo hold of a ship," Faith informed the two.

            "Then we need to find a way to get to the surface," Liz said.

            "No!" Faith exclaimed, "We must stay below deck or we surely will be caught. We're stowaways."

            "You're telling me that we have to stay in this dark, cold, musty, dirty place until we dock in New York!" Liz exclaimed.

            "We have no other choice," Cindy told her, "We don't know if the crew is friendly or evil."

            "She does have a point there," Faith agreed, "They could be apart of a cult or something and want to sacrifice us to their demon gods."

            "What!" Liz exclaimed.

            "I was kidding," Faith chuckled. 

            Neither Liz nor Cindy laughed at that. They didn't find being sacrificed to demon gods very funny. Suddenly there was a loud crash off to the right.

            "What the hell was that?" Faith questioned.

            "I don't know," Cindy replied, "It's too dark to see anything."

            That's when a light appeared far in the distance. 

            "What the hell were those hooded folks?" a man questioned.

            "I'm not sure captain, but they've overtaken the ship," another man replied.

            "We need to find someway to take back my ship!" the captain exclaimed, "I am not going to let a group of stowaways take over!"

            "But captain, did you see those weapons they carried?" the first mate asked.

            "No," he replied.

            "We haven't a weapon on this ship," the first mate continued, "They can easily kill us with those axes and daggers if we attempt to take back the ship."

            "You're right," the captain agreed, "I guess we're stuck down here until we reach land."

            Faith decided then that it was time to help these two men. She began walking towards the light from the door. Cindy and Liz followed.

            "Could we be of some assistance?" Faith asked.

            "What the hell?" the captain questioned, shining his flashlight on the girls.

            "More stowaways!" the first mate exclaimed, "Stay back!"

             "Look, we're not gonna hurt you," Faith reassured, "We're the good guys."

            "Stowaways aren't good guys," the captain said, "They're criminals."

            "Do you want to regain control of your ship? Cindy asked.

            "Of course I do!" the captain exclaimed.

            "Well then let us help you," Faith said.

            "Alright," the first mate said.

            "What are you doing!" the captain shouted, "You can't trust these stowaways!"

            "Captain, we have no other choice," the first mate said, "They might be able to help us."

            "Alright," he gave in, "But it is your hide if they prove to be traitors."

            "One more thing," Faith interrupted, "You have to let us go free once we dock."

            "Excuse me?" the captain questioned.

            "You can't have us arrested," she said.

            "And why not?" he asked.

            "Cuz we're the ones saving your asses!" Faith shouted as a dagger flew towards her head.

            She sidestepped it and it stuck into a crate. She peered out of the door to see three Bringers standing there, holding their weapons. 

            "Now at least we have a weapon," Faith said, walking over and picking up the thrown dagger. 

           Faith ran out of the cargo hold and into the lit hallway. Cindy and Liz followed. The Bringers stood there, menacingly, holding there weapons. She ran at them, brandishing the dagger. She slashed it through the air and sliced the closest one across the face. 

            Cindy and Liz came up behind her. They stood ready to take on the Bringers. The captain and first mate stayed in the cargo hold, staring in horror and shock. The three Bringers were joined by five more.

            "Oh shit," Faith muttered under her breath. 

            The Bringers smirked and began their attack on the three girls.


	12. Seal of Danthalzar

Seal of Danthalzar

Episode 12

Buffy's House:

            Buffy awoke from the couch. It was still quiet, just like it was before she had fallen asleep. It was strange that it had actually been quiet enough for her to sleep. It hadn't been this quiet since before the potential slayers had moved in.

            She stood up and headed into the kitchen to get a bite to eat. She walked in to find Giles standing there, talking to Willow.

            "We are in big trouble Willow," he said.

            "What do you mean?" she questioned.

            Neither of them had noticed that Buffy had entered the kitchen. She stood there listening to their conversation.

            "Buffy will fail," he replied.

            "What?"

            "She cannot defeat the First Evil. The oracle told me that the First Evil will always be and cannot be destroyed."

"That cannot be, Giles."

"Willow, an oracle is never wrong. They do not lie."

"Buffy will find a way to beat this, Giles. And you know that. She has never lost to anything before, so what makes you think she will lose this time?"

"Willow, there is a lot that you don't understand. The First Evil is not something that she can fight."

"I get that but how can you know she will lose? I mean, can't she like hold off it's agents until it gets fed up with her?

"There are several factors that can be seen by anyone that proves she will lose. She is starting to lose it. She cannot keep focus anymore."

            "What do you mean?"

            "There are too many things distracting her from her work."

            "Like what?"

            "Well, there's you all, her friends."

            "Giles, we have never gotten in the way before."

            "There are other things. There are her feelings for Spike, her job, the training of the potentials, she isn't getting enough sleep. Willow, Buffy is too stressed out with all that is going on right now."

            "How can you say those things, Giles?" Buffy butted in, unable to keep quiet.

            Willow and Giles turned to see her standing there in the doorway. 

            "I am stressed out, but those things are not stopping me from my work. I know that my responsibilities are beyond ordinary. No women in her twenties should have to have the weight of the world on her shoulders. But there's nothing I can do about that. I have been stressed out before, Giles. It does not give you reason to say that I am weak and cannot handle everything," she shouted, angry with him.

            "I didn't say that you were weak," he replied.

            "No, you didn't. But you were implying it," she said, "Why don't you go around for seven years with the responsibility of protecting the world and tell me that you're perfect?"

            She didn't wait around for an answer. She stormed to the basement and called down for Spike. He came walking up the stairs.

            "What?" he questioned, "I can't get any peace and quiet in this bloody house."

            "We're going to check something out," she said and stormed out the door. 

            Spike followed her and she slammed the door behind her. Willow stood there in shock.

            "I guess you should watch what you say in this house," Willow said.

            "I think you're right," he said, taking off his glasses and cleaning them.

Sunnydale High:

            Buffy and Spike walked through the dark streets of town until they reached the high school. Buffy walked up to the doors and pulled them. Surprisingly, they were open!

            "What are we doing here, luv?" Spike questioned.

            "There's been a lot of violent activity going on here lately," she informed, "I think it may have something to do with that seal in the basement."

            "No!" Spike shouted, "I am not going back in there!"

            "Come on," she said, "I'm not arguing with you! You are coming down with me so let's go."

            She walked through the hallways of the high school, headed for the basement. Spike stared in horror at the state of the place. The walls and lockers were covered in graffiti and there were even small fires in the trashcans. The floors were littered with all kinds of garbage and classroom windows were shattered.

            "What is going on here, luv?" he asked.

            "I think they are possessed and the seal is the thing controlling them," she replied, "We have to figure out if it is and find a way to destroy it."

            Suddenly, Spike was hit on the head by a fire extinguisher. He fell to the ground, but he was still conscious. Buffy turned to get the same fate. Everything got dark for her.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            Buffy opened her eyes. The first thing that she realized was her head hurt. She tried to rub her head, but her hands were bound behind her. She looked around. Her and Spike were leaning against the wall of a room. The floor was made of loose dirt. She knew where she was, in the basement: the room with the seal.

            She glanced over at Spike. He was out cold. She wondered if whoever had hit him the first time had done it again. She tried to stand up but was unable to. She looked down at her legs and saw that her and Spike were bound together by the legs.

            Just then, someone walked into the room, carrying a torch. Actually it was more like several people. Buffy noticed that they were all students and that they all were chanting in some weird language. Even more startling was instead of eyes, they had weird carvings like the Bringers!

            "Spike, Spike," she whispered, nudging him so as not to let the students know that she was awake.

            Spike moaned and opened his eyes. He went to rub his head, but suddenly realized that his hands were bound behind his back. Buffy's hand was placed over his mouth before he could shout.

            "Shh," she whispered, "We can't let them know that we're awake until we break these chains."

            "What's going on?" he questioned.

            "Their students," she responded, "It looks like they're trying to summon something."

            "What happened?" 

            "They knocked us out upstairs. I think it was a fire extinguisher."

            "What should we do? Just wait here 'til they kill us?"

            With a loud snap, the chains broke. Buffy stood up. She had broken the chains that bound her hands and the chains that bound her feet to Spike's. Moments later, Spike's chains snapped and he too stood up. 

            The students all stopped their freaky chanting and jumped to their feet. They rushed Buffy and Spike.

            "Don't hurt them!" she shouted, ducking a punch, "They're just students."

            "But their bloody punches still hurt," Spike yelled back, rubbing his check, where he had just been punched.

            Buffy dropped one student and tripped another. They had no expression on their faces, just like the Bringers. She back kicked one into the wall, knocking him out cold. 

            "Spike we have to retreat!" she shouted, "We need someone here with us!"

            "You want to retreat from these students?" he questioned.

            Buffy gave one a kick in the chest, causing her to fall backwards.

            "We need the person here that can stop the seal from giving off energy!" she shouted, "Let's get outta here!"

            With that, Buffy made a mad dash for the door. Two students stood in front of the open door, blocking her exit. They were kind of hunched over, ready to attack. Buffy quickly sped up and leaped into the air. She leaped right over the two students and rolled in the dirt when she landed. Spike charged right through the bewildered students. He and Buffy disappeared up the basement stairs and out of the high school.

Buffy's House:

            Andrew sat on the couch. He was eating popcorn and watching a horror movie on the television. He had finally gotten everyone to clear out of the room so that he could be alone. 

            Suddenly the front door burst open. He jumped in fear. Buffy walked in, followed by Spike.

            "You're coming with us," she said, grabbing him by the arm.

            "Huh?" he questioned, apparently confused.

            "Let's go!" she exclaimed.

            "Buffy, what the hell is going on?" Giles questioned, walking in from the kitchen.

            "Go away, Giles," she said, "I can handle this."

            "What's going on?" Willow asked as she came down the stairs, followed by Kennedy.

            Everyone looked up at them and smirked.

            "We weren't doing anything!" Willow shouted, "I swear."

            "I need to take care of something," Buffy informed.

            "Why do you need me?" Andrew asked.

            "Are you ready to save the world?" she asked, grabbing his arm and pulling him out the door.

            Spike followed and slammed the door behind him. Giles, Willow, and Kennedy stood in the front hallway confused.

            "Giles, what happened?" Willow asked.

            "Buffy and Spike stormed in the house and demanded Andrew to come with them," he began, "When I questioned her, she told me to go away."

            "She is very angry with you, Giles," Willow told him.

            "Yes I know," he replied.

            "You need to apologize," Willow said.

            Ignoring her, Giles questioned, "What were you two doing up there?"

Sunnydale High:

            "Where are we going?" Andrew questioned.

            Buffy had finally let go of his arm. She knew that he wouldn't try to run away now. They came to the high school and stopped at the front doors.

            "I told you," she began, "You're going to save the world."

            Grabbing him, she yanked him inside the building. Spike followed, not far behind. She stormed through the trashed hallways of the high school, pulling Andrew behind her. They came up to the hallway where the basement door was. 

            That was when several students appeared out of no where and blocked their way. One held a piece of wood with nails in it, the second carried a small knife, and the third held onto a fire extinguished. They didn't want anyone in the basement. They were ready for a fight.

            Buffy didn't have time for fooling around. She had to deactivate the seal as soon as possible. But she couldn't risk the chance of getting hurt by the students. She grabbed the closest one and threw her into the other two, knocking them to the ground. She threw open the basement door.

            "Spike, stay here and cover my back," she informed, "Don't let anyone come down here. Let's go Andrew!"

            She grabbed him by his arm and pulled him into the darkness. Spike closed the door behind them, and stood guard. 

            "What are we doing?" he asked.

            "Well you were the one that killed him and you're going to fix that," she informed.

            "How?" he questioned.

            Ignoring him, she asked, "I really don't want a murderer hanging around me, but I have to keep the town safe."

            "Well, you see, we keep tossing that word around, but that's not really what happened," he said.

            "What?" she questioned, "You stabbed Jonathan to death. What were you trying to do? Scratch his back from the front?"

            "It was confusing," he said, "Jonathan and I were digging, but Warren was there, and only I could see him."

            "Alright, never mind that now. We have arrived at the hellmouth," she said.

            Buffy slid open the door of the room where the seal was. Two Bringers rushed at her. Well, they were formally students. She shoved them into the walls. They were both knocked out cold.

            "Well, what do I have to do?" he questioned.

            "I guess Willow already told you that you had to talk to it, tell it stop," Buffy said.

            "Yeah, she did."           

            "Doesn't really make sense, does it? Bringing you hear to talk to it? It doesn't understand words, only blood."

            "Blood opens it. You don't want to open it. That would be bad."

            "Yeah, Willow did a little research. Turns out, the blood of the person that awoke it—you—different kind of deal. It reverses the whole thing."

            "So, how much blood... are you gonna—" 

            "I don't know. Maybe not enough to kill you."

            "So, this is my redemption at last? I buy back my bruised soul with the blood of my heart. But-but not enough to kill—"

            "Stop! Stop telling stories. Life isn't a story."

            "Sorry. Sorry."

            "Shut up. You always do this. You make everything into a story so no one's responsible for anything because they're just following a script."

            She grabbed him by the shirt and held him over the seal. She pulled out the small dagger that he had bought in Mexico. She brought it closer to him.

            "Please don't kill me. Warren said Jonathan would be OK. I trusted him, and I lost my friend."

            "You didn't lose him. You murdered him."

            "I know, but you don't need to kill me. You said we could all get through this."  

            "I made it up. I'm making it all up. What kind of hero does that make me?"

            "No, you're doing great. Really. Kudos."

            "Yeah? Well, I don't like having to give a bunch of speeches about how we're all gonna live, because we won't. This isn't some story where good triumphs because good triumphs. Good people are going to die! Girls. Maybe me. Probably you. Probably right now. When your blood pours out, it might save the world. What do you think about that? Does it buy it all back? Are you redeemed?"

            "No."

            "Why not?"

            "Because I killed him. Because I listened to Warren, and I pretended I thought it was him, but I knew—I knew it wasn't. And I killed Jonathan. And now you're gonna kill me. And I'm scared, and I'm going to die. And this—this is what Jonathan felt..."

            Andrew began crying, as she held him over the seal. The knife was frozen in place. The tears dripped off of his face and onto the glowing seal. When they hit the seal, it stopped glowing.

            "It stopped," he said.

            Buffy smiled and dropped him onto the seal. He breathed a sigh of relief. She slid the knife back into her pocket.

            "Didn't want blood, it wanted tears," she said.

            "What would you have done if the tears didn't work?" he questioned.

            Buffy didn't answer him. She just left the room. Andrew stood there staring at the seal that he had opened and started that horrible nightmare.


	13. New Ally

New Ally

Episode 13

Buffy's House:

            Buffy and Willow were seated in the family room. They were alone and talking about different things. They didn't know where anyone else was and they didn't care.

            "Did you stop the seal?" Willow asked.

            "Yeah, I did," Buffy replied.

            "With Andrew?" she questioned.

            "Yes," Buffy answered, "I was able to convince him that I had to kill him to stop the seal and it got him to cry. His tears landed on the seal and stopped it."

            "That's good news," Willow said.

            "Will, there's something weird about the principal," Buffy blurted out.

            "What are you talking about?" Willow questioned.

            "The principal, my boss, Robin Wood," Buffy went on.

            "What about him?"

            "I'm not sure. He just seems a little suspicious, like he's up to something big. But I don't know anything."

            "Well, why don't you look into it?" 

            "I would if I knew how and what to do?"

            "Why don't I look him up on my laptop and see if there's anything about him?"

            "Sounds good, Will. I better get to work. I'll see you later today."

            With that, Buffy stood up and went to the front door. She walked out, leaving Willow sitting there on the couch. Willow stood up and went to the dining room, where her laptop was.

            "Willow, what are you doing?" Kennedy called from the kitchen.

            "I'm looking someone up for Buffy," she replied.

            "Who?" 

            "The principal of the high school."

            "Need some help?"

            "Not really, but I could use some company."

            Kennedy walked into the dining room and took a seat next to Willow. Willow smiled and typed in the principal's name and hit search. The two held hands under the table as the computer searched for information on Robin Wood. The two were becoming really close.

            Willow clicked the first link and it opened instantly. She read the information on him.

            "What's it say?" Kennedy asked.          

            "Well, it just tells about him as his previous jobs. But there's nothing weird about him here. Maybe he's just an ordinary guy."

            "I guess so."

Sunnydale High:

            Buffy needed information on Principal Wood. It was eating away at her, so she decided to sneak into his office to see if there was anything interesting on him there. She began looking in drawers and searching through file cabinets. There was nothing at all.

            Then she noticed a huge whiteboard near the front. She gets a little curious and walks over to it. 

            "What are you doing?" a male voice questioned.

            Buffy spun around, startled. She turned to see her boss, Robin Wood, standing in the doorway.

            "I was looking for staples," she lied.

            "There's none in here," he replied.

            "Just though I'd check," she went on, "I forgot where the supply room was. That's why I came in here."

            "That's okay."

            "Well, I better get back to work."

            "Buffy?"

            "Yes?"

            "Would you like to go to dinner with me tonight?"

            "Excuse me?"

            "I take that as a no."

            "No, no. That's not what I meant. I'm just a little surprised. I'd be happy to go to dinner with you."

            "Alright, well I'll meet you out front of the school at seven."

            "Sounds good. I'll see you then. Bye."

            As soon as she was out of the office, Wood pulled out a handkerchief from his pocket. In it was a dagger, with blood all over. He began wiping the blood off. As he finished up, he opened a secret panel behind the whiteboard. In it were twenty other swords and daggers. He placed it in the last spot and closed the panel.

Buffy's House:

            "So he asked you out to dinner?" Willow questioned.

            "Yeah, isn't that weird? I mean, he's a principal. He's a young, hot principal, with earrings, but he's a principal," Buffy said, "Why do you think he asked me out? I mean, he could be interested, right?"

            "Yeah, sure. You're a frisky vixen."

            "Or, it could be work-related. Maybe I'm getting promoted for doing such a good job."

            "Oh, right, that—that makes sense too."

            "Or, maybe he knows that I suspect he's up to something, and he's taking me out to kill me."

            "Well, you'll have to dress for the ambiguity. Buff, if he's really interested, are you interested back?"

            "I don't know. He's good-looking, and he's—he's solid, he's smart, he's normal. So, not the wicked energy, which is nice 'cause I don't want to only be attracted to wicked energy. Or what if he is wicked, in which case, is that why I'm attracted to him?"

            "I'm gonna wait for that sentence to come around again before I jump on."

            "You know what? Yeah, I mean I think I like him. And he'd be good for me."

            "Right, help you move on."

            "Why does everybody in this house think I'm still in love with Spike?"

            "No, I-I meant move on from this imposed super-self-reliance. Let somebody get close."

            Suddenly, the door burst open and Xander came running into the house. He looked really excited. 

            "Guys, guess what happened!" he exclaimed.

            "Buffy got a date!" Willow interrupted.

            "No, I did. Fine, way to steal my thunder," he said.

            "Sorry. If it makes you feel better, it's Principal Wood, and I think he's aligned with the First," Buffy put in.

            "Also, like ten years older than you, right?" Xander questioned.

            "That is like 100 years younger than your type!" Willow exclaimed.

            "Yay, someone who doesn't remember the Industrial Revolution." Buffy replied, sarcastically.

            "I think they're gonna end up making out. 'Oh, Principal Wood," she'll gasp, 'I love your lack of wicked energy.'," Willow joked.

            "Watch it, or I'm gonna make you talk about your new girlfriend who you hold hands with under the dinner table and think we don't notice," Buffy retaliated.

            "How 'bout yours, Xander. Is she evil?" Willow questioned.

            "Well, she's interested in me, so there's a good chance, but I'm hoping for the best," he replied.

            Just then, Giles walked in the front door. Chao-Ahn followed behind him. He was carrying a bag of some sort and she was holding a small cup of ice cream.

            "Dear lord, I hate that mall. The shop assistants are rude. And everything in the Food Court is sticky," Giles said.

            Buffy stood up and walked out of the room. She was still angry with Giles for what he had said before. Willow got up and followed her. Giles knew Buffy was still angry.

            "That's gotta be rough. Getting just like pulled out of your home, being told you're a potential slayer, not being able to bring anything," Xander replied.

            "Yes, and the language barrier is formidable. I was concerned that my Mandarin is a little thin, but as it turns out, she speaks Cantonese, which is thinner. But we muddled through, and, as I suspected, ice cream is a universal language," Giles went on.

            "Like many from Asia, I am lactose intolerant. I'm very uncomfortable," Chao-Ahn said, in Chinese.

            "What'd she say?" Xander questioned.

            "She's grateful to be in the land of plenty," Giles answered.

Buffy's House, Later that Day:

            Buffy had left for her date and Xander had left for his. Willow, Giles, Anya, and Spike stayed with the potentials. They obviously didn't have anything planned. Willow was sitting at her laptop, still looking for stuff on Principal Wood. Kennedy was sitting next to her.

            Just then, Anya came running down the stairs, Giles following. Giles was holding pieces of paper in his hands.

            "What are those?" Willow questioned.

            Anya replied, "Giles made them for Chao-Ahn, and now she's locked herself in the bathroom. There are other girls upstairs waiting, and now they're starting to complain."

            "Those are flashcards," Giles put in, "I made them to facilitate her training. Chao-Ahn never had a watcher. The language problem…"

            "You showed her these?" Willow questioned, surprised after she got a look at the cards.

            They were crude drawings of vampires, demons, a girl slaying a vampire, and lots and lots of blood. There was even one of a Turok Han. Anyone would have been frightened.

            "I wanted her to understand the seriousness of her situation," Giles replied.

            "Holy crap!" Kennedy exclaimed, getting a look at the flashcards.

            "Perhaps I'll rethink the approach," Giles said.

            He left the room and Anya followed. Willow guessed that they were going to try and get Chao-Ahn out of the bathroom. Meanwhile, Spike was sitting in the basement, smoking a cigarette. He was finally happy that all had settled down for the night. The thing he wasn't happy with was that Buffy had gone out with some guy she didn't really know.

            Suddenly, he grasped his head and yelled in pain. He began struggling and making a lot of noise. The pain in his head began getting worse and his yelling grew louder. Seconds later, Willow and Kennedy were downstairs.

            "What's going on?" Willow asked.

            Spike's pain stopped and he regained his senses. 

            "The chip," he muttered, "It burns!"

            "Willow, how can we help him?" Kennedy asked.

            "I don't know," she replied, "Maybe they will just go away soon."

            Spike sat there, exhausted. It was obvious that the pain he had witnessed was intense.

            "Does Advil work on vampires?" Willow asked him.

            "I don't know," he muttered, "Just give me something to stop the pain."

            Kennedy disappeared upstairs and returned a few moments later, Advil in hand. She gave the bottle to Spike. He opened it and popped several pills into his mouth. Obviously more than was supposed to be taken.

            "We can't do anything until Buffy gets back," Willow whispered to Kennedy.

            "We should at least keep our eye on him, in case the headaches happen again." Kennedy whispered back.

Downtown Sunnydale:

            Buffy and Robin were walking through a dark alley on their way to dinner. They were making cute small talk about different things in their lives. Buffy kept her important things secret from him.

            Just as they were rounding a corner, five vampires jumped out at them. Three jumped at Buffy, knocking her to the ground. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a stake. She quickly shoved it into one of the vamps. 

            "You set me up, you son of a…" Buffy was surprised at what she saw was happening.

            Robin Wood was single handedly fighting the remaining two vampires. He kicked one vampire into the brick wall and quickly staked it. Realizing that he hadn't set her up and that he was okay, Buffy turned back to face her two opponents.

           She tripped the second vampire and shoved her stake into its heart. Just as the third vampire was sneaking up on her, she spun around and jabbed the stake into its heart. It exploded to dust. 

            Robin walked over to her and she brushed the dust off. She turned to face him.

            "How the hell did you do that?" she questioned, shocked.

            "Do what?" he asked, "Oh you mean that. That was nothing. Come on, I'll tell you once we get to the restaurant."

Sunnydale High Basement:

            Xander was in a bit of trouble with his date, actually more than a bit of trouble. He had gone for coffee and they had talked. But somehow he had ended up hanging from the same wheel-like structure that Spike had been on months before. He was hanging above the seal that brought the Ubervamp out.

            "This can't just happen," he said, "It can't just keep happening that demon women find me attractive. There's gotta be a reason!"

            "You just seem like a nice guy," Lissa, his date replied, "I wanted to get to know you."

            "And kill me?" Xander questioned.

            "Sure," she answered, "Do the ropes hurt?"

            "Yes." 

            "Good."

At the Restaurant:

            "This place is nice," Buffy said, "How the hell did you do that?"

            "I've had practice," Wood replied, "Never took on two at once before, but I have taken out a vamp here or there before and some demons."

            "So you're a freelance?"

            "Hmm…freelance—I guess that's a good way to put it."

            "Right. Okay, um, so I'm guessing that you don't work in an office 15 feet above the hell mouth because you enjoy educational administration?"

            "Well, I actually do enjoy the work, but yeah. Yeah, you're right. I maneuvered myself into that school, that office— just like I maneuvered you there. The hell mouth draws the bad things in close, and now we're headed for something big, Buffy. Really big, and I need to be here when it happens. I want to help."

            "So, y-you didn't hire me for my counseling skills?"

            "...They're valuable too."

            "How? How do you know about slayers?"

            "Right. Okay. See, when I was a little boy, my mother was one. The one, actually—the slayer."

            "Your mother— Wow, I didn't know that any slayers had children."

            "Well, I don't know of any others. She was killed when I was four. I still remember her, but it's a little... fuzzy? You know?"

            "Um, something got her... a demon—?"

            "A vampire. Oh man, I went through this whole 'avenging son' phase in my twenties, but I never found him. So, now I just dust as many of them as I can find. I figure, eventually I'll get him. That's probably why we got jumped outside. I'm not very popular with the bumpy-fore headed crowd, and I bet you aren't either."

            "No. Not most of them. Um, so, do you have any slayer powers? I'm sorry, I—I'm just so floored. I-I have no idea what to ask."

            "No, I don't have powers. No super-strength or mythic responsibilities. I'm just a guy with a few skills 'cause her watcher took me in and raised me."

Buffy's House:

            Willow was sitting on the couch, when her cell-phone wrung. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at it. She had received a text-message from Xander.

            "Who's it from?" Kennedy asked.

            "It's from Xander," she replied.

            "What does he need?" Giles questioned.

            "Well, I'm not really sure. It either means, 'help me my date is a demon and trying to kill me' or 'I got lucky so don't call me for a while,'" Willow replied.

             "What!" Anya exclaimed.

            "Well considering that it's Xander, I'd say he's in trouble," Giles put in.

            "I think you're right," Willow agreed.

            Meanwhile Spike, who had been sitting there quietly recuperating from his severe headache, stood up and went for the door.

            "Where are you going?" Willow questioned, "You are in no condition to go out with those headaches."

            "Someone has to get Buffy," he said, "And I'm the person to do it."

            "I don't think so," Giles said.

            "Alright, Red, you are coming with me," he said and tossed her coat to her.

            "Let's go!" he exclaimed and walked out the door.

            "Go with him," Giles informed, "He may collapse from those headaches and be attacked."

            Willow slid on her coat and dashed out the door after Spike.

The Restaurant:

            "Oh my god!" Buffy exclaimed, "That is the best thing I've ever had in my mouth!"

            Wood had fed her a delicious sample of his dinner. Apparently, she really enjoyed it. Then Wood takes a piece of pear and dips it into his brandy. He flirtatiously feeds it to Buffy on his fork.

            Buffy glanced up and stared right at Spike and Willow, standing next to the table. She is surprised. They both have serious looks on their faces.

            "Is there a problem?" Wood questioned.

            "Spike, Willow, what are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

            "It's Xander," Willow answered.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            The wheel-like structure that Xander was tied to was now directly over the seal. He was terrified that he was most likely going to die.

            "You know, something bad will happen if you open that," Xander said, trying to persuade her to let him go.

            "The seal opens and vicious feral vampire comes out!" Lissa exclaimed, gleefully.

            "And why's that a good idea?" he questioned.

            "I know the end is coming," she began, "It's time to choose sides and get help."

            She walked over and grabbed a large decorative dagger off a barrel. She turned and faced Xander, her eyes glowing yellow like a cats. She stabbed him in the side and he cried out as his blood began dipping onto the seal. 

            "Couldn't have done it without you, Xander!" she exclaimed, "Thanks for the great date!"

Downtown Sunnydale:

            The four of them were seated in Wood's car, a Dodge Durango. Buffy was riding shotgun and Willow and Spike were in the back. There was complete silence.

            "Are you sure Xander is at the high school?" Buffy questioned, breaking the silence.

            "Yeah," Willow replied, "I did a locator spell."

            "Not surprising," Wood interrupted, "The school is the center of everything."

            There was complete silence again. Wood sped up so they could get to Xander before anything happened to him.

            "So how do you know the two of them, Buffy?" Wood asked.

            "We work together in the struggle against evil," she blurted out.

            "Hmm…cool," Wood replied, not sure if to believe her.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            "You don't really have to do this," Xander said, trying to get her to stop the madness.

            "Oh, I think I do," Lissa replied.

            "Xander!" Buffy shouted as she burst through the door.

           She ran at Lissa, attacking her. Lissa side-stepped Buffy, causing her to be thrown off-balance. Spike tried to attack, but she knocked him to the ground, choking him. Wood rushed over to untie Xander from the structure above the seal.

            Spike's features begin to change as he vamped out. He was very pissed at this demon. 

            "A vampire…" Wood said to himself and begins cutting the ropes.

            He was too late; Xander's blood had dripped onto the seal. The triangles on the seal began to fold upwards, causing light to shine from within. A long claw reached up and grabbed Wood's leg. Wood quickly cut the ropes off Xander's left leg and helped him get away from the seal. Then, he kicked the hand away.

            The seal began to close, since there was no longer a flow of blood. The triangles on the seal slammed down, one of them cutting off the long claw of a Turok Han. Meanwhile, Spike was knocked down once again by Lissa. Buffy regained her senses and charged at the demon once again, this time hitting her target.

            Buffy attempted to grab the dagger from the demon's hand. She and Lissa fight for control of it, Lissa gaining the upper hand. Buffy is tossed away and Lissa turned to face an angry Spike. She swung the dagger, but Spike ducked. He punched her, but was then thrown aside once again. 

            While Lissa stood straight up after dispatching Spike, Buffy took it as a great opportunity to attack. She gave the demon a roundhouse kick, causing her to stumble. Buffy reached out and tore the dagger from the demon's hand. She swung the dagger and it connected with Lissa's head. The body and head fell to the ground and melted away into the dirt floor.

            "Hey Xand!" Buffy exclaimed, smiling, "I'm here."

            "How's your date going?" Xander questioned in a weak voice.

            Neither of them noticed the evil looks that Spike and Wood were giving each other. Buffy put Xander's right arm over her shoulder and Spike put Xander left arm over his shoulder and they helped him out of the basement. Principal Wood followed behind, giving Spike a cold look. They met Willow in the car and then sped away.

Buffy's House:

            "Where the hell are they?" Anya questioned, "I bet that slut ate Xander up."

            The Scooby Gang were all seated in the family room, waiting for the return of Buffy, Willow, Spike, and Xander. Just then, Chao-Ahn walked down the stairs and into the family room.

            "Why is everyone up?" she questioned in Chinese, "Are the flashcard monsters attacking?"  
            "She can't sleep," Giles incorrectly translated, "Here, have this glass of milk. It'll help you sleep."

            He handed her the glass of milk and she gave him a pissed off look.

            "You're trying to kill me!" Chao-Ahn exclaimed and stomped off back upstairs.

            "She's shy," Giles told the others.

            "Did you ever think that maybe she doesn't like milk?" Andrew questioned.

            Everyone ignored him. The door opened slowly and in walked Willow. Spike and Buffy were right behind her, holding up Xander on their shoulders. Xander's shirt was open, revealing his bandaged side.

            "What happened?" Kennedy asked.

            "That's it!" Xander exclaimed, "I'm turning gay!"

            "Huh?" Buffy questioned.

            "Come on Will, gay me up," he said.

            "Uh…he's had a rough night," Willow said.

            "Do you all realize what is going on?" Giles questioned.

            They all stare at him, confused.

            "You are all too concerned with your social lives," he went on, "There is no time for fun and games. We are about to face a primal evil."

            Everyone looked ashamed except for Buffy, who was still angry with him.

            Holding up the flashcards, he spoke again, "These girls are going to die. And we may also. It's time to get serious."


	14. Helping Friends

Helping Friends

Episode 14

Buffy's House:

            "Buffy, something is wrong with Spike," Willow informed as the two were pouring themselves some cereal.

            "What do you mean?" she questioned.

            "Well, yesterday while you were on your date, I found Spike in the basement holding his head a yelling in pain," Willow informed, "He thinks it has something to do with the chip and so do I."

            "The chip?" Buffy questioned, "Do you think it has something to do with his soul interfering with the chip?"

            "I don't know," Willow said.

            "Well, I'll figure something out," she reassured, "By the way, how's Xander doing?"

            "He's doing fine," Willow replied, "He's just in a lot of pain. Luckily the demon didn't stab him, just sliced him."

            "Well that's good," she said, "I'm going to go ask Spike about his headaches.

            She finished eating her cereal and then headed downstairs, into the quiet, dark basement. She flicked the lights on as she slowly walked down the stairs.

            "Spike, are you okay?" she questioned, walking over to his bed.

            "What do you mean?" he asked.

            "Well, Willow told me about the headache that you had yesterday."

            "Oh that. Yeah, I'm fine."

            Suddenly, he began to grasp his head and yelled out in pain. His eyes rolled back in his head. Buffy backed away, frightened. A few moments later, the pain stopped and Spike caught his breath and returned to normal.

            "Fine, huh?"

            "Okay, I think the chip is acting up."

            "What do you mean, acting up?"

            "I think it is deteriorating."

            "How's that possible?"

            "It might be old," Willow said, butting in.

            "Huh?" Buffy questioned.

            "It is probably getting to old. I mean it has been in his head for almost four years now," she answered.

            "Maybe I wasn't supposed to live this long," Spike said, quietly.

New York City:

            "We were so lucky to get out of that tricky situation," Faith said to the others.

            "Yeah I know. I can't believe we actually managed to beat that large group of Bringers," Cindy agreed, "I mean who would have known that I had magik still left in me."

            "What do you mean?" Liz questioned.

            "Last year, I was attacked by some demon," Cindy began, "I was knocked out and when I woke up, my magik abilities were gone."

            "It must have been temporary," Faith said.         

            The group of girls had just arrived in New York City. The boat trip was long and hard. They spent most days below deck fighting the Bringers. It had taken them a few days, but they had finally won. 

            "So what do we do now?" Liz questioned.

            "Well, now we begin our journey to Sunnydale," Faith said.

            "And how do you plan to do that?" Cindy questioned.

            "You see, there are many ways to get cross-country. They all take several weeks except for planes. There is no way we are getting on a plane without money, so that's out of the question," Faith informed, "That means we'll be hitchhiking our way cross-country."

            "Excuse me!" Cindy exclaimed.

            "What?" Faith questioned.

            "Do you know what happens to people that hitchhike, especially women?" Cindy questioned.

            "Of course I do," she replied, "And no one will mess with a slayer, a potential slayer, and a witch."

            "She does have a point," Liz put in.

            "Alright, well let's go then!" Faith exclaimed.

Buffy's House:

            "I tried contacting Riley and the Initiative," Buffy said, coming downstairs.

            "What did they say?" Spike questioned.

            "Well, I couldn't get to them," she replied.

            "What do you mean?" he asked.

            "I got a flower shop. I figured it was some kind of setup in case anyone suspected anything," she answered, "But I think it really was a flower shop."

            "Bollocks!" Spike shouted.

            "What?" 

            "I'm gonna die from this bloody chip!"

            "No. We'll find someway to help you."

            "Buffy, there is no possible way to help me now. I'm gonna die and I just have to live with it."

            Just then Willow came walking downstairs, carrying a box.

            "What's that?" Buffy questioned.

            "It's some stuff that, I think it was Principal Wood, dropped off," Willow replied.

            "Principal Wood?" Buffy asked.

            "Yeah, he said it was some stuff that might help you," she went on, "He told me to give it right to you and that's what I'm doing."

            "Like you didn't look through it," Buffy commented.

            "Okay, fine!" Willow exclaimed, "I did take a peak. But you have to look for yourself if you want to know what's inside."

            "I'll look later," Buffy said, "Right now, I need to find someway to help Spike out with the chip."

            "Why don't you take him to the Initiative Caves?" she suggested.

            "Initiative Caves?" Spike questioned, "They're probably all blocked up by now."

            "I don't think so," Willow said, "I mean, there's most likely stuff that they still need in there. I'd say it's still open."

            "And the best way in is that secret entrance in the woods," Buffy said.

            "Well then, let's go before those bloody headaches return!" he exclaimed.

The Cemetery:

            "I wish Buffy wasn't so mad at me," Giles spoke.

            "Well, you did bring it on yourself," Willow commented, "You should have kept your mouth shut."

            "What did you do, Giles?" Anya asked.

            "Nothing, Anya, nothing," he replied.

            Giles, Willow, and Anya had taken a small handful of the potentials out slaying in the cemetery. Kennedy, Rona, and Julia had gone training with Buffy so they already knew a little. The other two, Chao-Ahn and Molly hadn't gone before. 

            "What are we doing in a cemetery?" Chao-Ahn asked, in Chinese.

            "What'd she say?" Anya asked.

            "She's glad that she's safe with us," he incorrectly translated.

            "Are you sure you're correctly translating?" Willow asked.

            "Yes, of course," he replied, "I'd be in big trouble if I wasn't."

            "Now girls," Giles spoke, "How many of you have ever killed a vampire?"

            "I have," Kennedy said.

            The other girls all stood there, looking ashamed.

            "It's nothing to be ashamed about," Giles reassured, "You are all beginners. Buffy was a beginner herself once, just like everyone is at something one point in their lives."

            Willow and Anya kind of walked off from Giles' lecture to engage in their own conversation.

            "Do you think it was wise to leave Jake and Xander there by themselves with the girls?" Anya asked.

            "Huh? What kind of question is that?" Willow questioned.

            "I mean what if they do stuff to them?" she asked.

            "The guys to the girls or the other way around?" Willow asked.

            "The girls to the guys," Anya answered.

            "Yeah Anya," Willow began, "The potentials are gonna seduce Xander and Jake and make those two have sex with them. I'm sure that'll happen."

            "Hey, you never know," Anya argued.

Buffy's House:

            "Babysitting!" Xander exclaimed, angrily, "Is that all I'm good for anymore?"

            Jake walked into the family room, where Xander was seated on the couch, watching television. 

            "Well maybe if you weren't injured, you could have gone with Giles and the others," Jake commented.

            "That's not my fault that I was stabbed," Xander retorted.

            "It kinda was," Jake replied, "You fell into that demon's trap."

            "Fine!" he shouted, "You're right. Wait a second!"

            "What's wrong?" 

            "Where are the potentials?" 

            "Oh man! You're right! Where'd they go?"

            Both of them stood up and began searching the house for the girls. How could seven girls mysteriously disappear like that? The returned to the family room confused.

            "Where the hell did the seven of them go?" Jake questioned.

            "You got me," Xander replied, "It's a little hard for seven teenage girls to sneak out of here without making noise."

            "We're gonna be so screwed when Giles and the others come back and the girls aren't here," Jake stated.

            "That means we have to go out and find them," Xander said.

            "I just hope the Bringers don't get to them first," Jake put in.

Initiative Caves:

            "So what do you remember about being here?" Buffy asked.

            "Not much. Every time I acted up those blokes gave me that drug and I was in happy land," Spike replied.

            Buffy and Spike were walking through the old Initiative laboratory. They needed to find information on the chip in Spike's head.

            "I bet they have files in here somewhere or some kind of medication," Spike said.

            "Probably," she answered.

            They continued walking through the labs, shining their flashlights over the walls and floors. It was pitch black and the labs were all pretty much destroyed. The place was completely empty or so they thought.

            "This is so pointless, luv," Spike said as they continued walking, "We're not going to find anything in this hellhole. It's been abandoned for several years."

            "You never know. This place was never cleaned out. It could still have some kind of medication that could be helpful to you," she replied.

            "Well we haven't found anything yet," he murmured, "And I doubt we will."

            "Well let's keep looking," she said and continued walking.

            Just then, the lights flickered on. Buffy looked up and saw several men come walking in; their guns aimed at her and Spike. 

            "Oh bloody hell," Spike murmured 

            "Lower you weapons," the lead man ordered.

            The guns immediately went down.

            "Agent Finn said you tried to contact him, Miss Summers," the man said, "Something about a chip?"

            "Yes," Buffy answered.

            "You have two choices for ass face there," he began.

            "Huh?" she questioned, startled.

            "Those were his exact words, miss," he said.

            "Can you tell me what is wrong with the chip?" she questioned.

            "Well, it is deteriorating. If it stays inside his head, it will kill him," the man informed, "You can either have the chip repaired or removed. Agent Finn said you would make the right decision on this one."

            Buffy stood indecisive. She had no clue what to do, have it removed or repaired. This was one of the hardest decisions that she ever had to make.

Downtown Sunnydale:

            Xander pushed open the door to the Bronze. He sure hoped that the potentials were here. If they weren't, he had no idea where else to look. He walked into the noisy club, Jake followed.

            "We should split up," Xander told him, "That way, we can cover more ground."

            Jake walked off to the left, while Xander headed up to the balcony. He reached the railing and peered over, glancing down at all the people. That's when he noticed several hooded figures walking around amongst the people.

            "Oh great," Xander murmured.

            He dashed down to the dance floor. Now he really had to find the girls. As he reached the dance floor, he noticed Danielle and Ashley walking to the bar counter. He ran up to them. They didn't even notice him.

            "Where are the others?" he questioned.

            They both spun around and came face to face with Xander. 

            "Xander?" Ashley questioned.

            "What are you doing here?" Danielle asked.

            "Look, I'll explain later. You all are in danger," he said out of breath, "We have to get out of here and fast. Where are the others?"

            "They're around here somewhere," Ashley replied.

            "Well let's find them and Jake and get out of here before the Bringers get them!" he exclaimed.

            The three of them calmly headed out onto the dance floor, looking for the others. Just then, a Bringer walked right in front of them.

            "Uh oh," Xander mumbled.

            The Bringer lifted its axe and swung it towards their heads. Danielle and Ashley screamed in horror. It was loud enough that the band on stage stopped playing and the bouncers were headed towards them. 

            As the bouncers approached, two more Bringers came out of the crowd, weapons drawn. The Bringer carrying two daggers slashed them at one of the bouncers. The other two, who both wielded an axe, attacked the three bouncers. 

            Xander took this opportunity to flee the Bronze with the girls. He grabbed Danielle and Ashley by the arms and the three of them burst through the doors and out into the night. 

            "Aren't you gonna get the others?" Ashley asked.

            "I'd rather risk five lives then all of ours," he informed, "Besides I was given strict orders by Buffy to retreat instead of fight. And I think Jake may have found some of them."

            "What?" Danielle questioned, "She told you to retreat?"

            "I don't question Buffy anymore because we're in a time of great danger. More serious trouble is lurking around the corners of this town nowadays. And I'm not strong enough to take it on," he answered, "Come on, we better get back to the house."

            "But shouldn't we at least see if we can find the others?" Danielle asked.

            "I can't risk getting you two killed," Xander replied, "I'm sorry."

            He grabbed them by their arms and pulled them back onto the main street. The three of them began their walk back to Buffy's house. Xander was constantly looking over his shoulder to see if they were being followed. He was also thinking of how to explain tonight's events to Buffy and the others when they got home.


	15. Trouble

Trouble

Episode 15

Buffy's House:

            "What do you mean you lost them?" Giles questioned, obviously angry.

            "Well," Xander began, "They were here with us and then we realized they were gone. We figured that they'd probably be gone to the Bronze."

            Xander had returned home with Danielle and Ashley to find an angry Giles and a confused Willow and Anya. The potentials that had gone with them were also very puzzled.

            "Where is Jake now?" Giles questioned.

            "I lost him at the Bronze when the Bringers showed up," he answered.

            "Bringers showed up?" Giles questioned, "You didn't say that before."

            "Well, we split up to find them and that's when I saw these two," he said, pointing to the girls he had brought back, "Then while we were looking for the others, we ran into several Bringers so we fled."

            "So they are most likely dead?" Giles asked, angrily.

            "I don't know!" Xander exclaimed.

            "I just don't understand how you could have lost seven teenage girls," Giles scolded.

            "I don't either," Xander replied.

            "I told you they would do something to them," Anya whispered to Willow.

            "Yeah, but you said they'd seduce Jake and Xander, not that they'd run away," Willow whispered back.           

            "Where is Buffy?" Giles asked.

            "Umm…she went out. She didn't say where she was going," Willow lied.

            "That means we are all going out to look for the girls," Giles told them all, "Even if they are dead."

The Bronze:

            Jake looked around the Bronze. It was in total chaos. People were running around, panicking because there was an attack going on. Bringers had invaded the club, looking for potential slayers. Jake noticed a group of five girls standing in the back of the club, shaking with fear. Instantly, he recognized them as five of the potentials. He rushed over to them.

            "Come on," he exclaimed, "We have to get out of here!"

            He made a dash for the door, the five girls followed. Right now was not a good time to be with the potentials and be alone. Jake was weaponless and so were the girls. Jake pulled on the door, it was locked. He backed up and kicked the door, breaking it open.

            "There we go," he said and ran out.

            After the girls got out, he pushed the door shut. He noticed a dumpster next to the building and had an idea.

            "Look, this won't hold them for that long but I need your help in moving this," he spoke to the girls.

            "Alright, if it'll help us get away quicker," Annabelle agreed.

            The six of them used all their strength and quickly moved the dumpster in front of the door. They hoped that it would hold the Bringers long enough so they could get pretty far away.

            "Let's get outta here!" Jake exclaimed.  

            None of the girls argued with that. 

Buffy's House:

            Jake pushed open the door to the house. It was dark inside. He walked in, the five potentials followed.

            "Is anybody here?" Jake called as he walked into the family room.

            The house was completely empty. This puzzled Jake because they all rarely went out at once. He called again just to check, but received no answer. 

            "Well, we better wait for someone to come back. We don't want to go getting killed without anyone knowing," he said to the five girls.

           He sat down on the couch and flipped the television on. The girls all gathered round the TV too. Little did they know, there was in fact someone in the house, watching them. The First stood in the next room, in the form of Sarah, the previous slayer and Jake's old best friend.

            It smirked while it watched Jake. It knew that it could easily cause some chaos here, without even having to physically harm anyone. The First waited for the right moment and then walked into the room.

            At first, Jake didn't even glance up. The First just stood there, watching him and the potentials. Jake rubbed his eyes with tiredness and then moved them away. He caught his first glance of Sarah.

            "Sarah?" Jake questioned, "B-but you're dead?"

            "Jake, I never died," Sarah spoke, "They lied to you. All of them did."

            "What?" Jake asked, "Why would they do that?"

            "To keep me hidden from you," she answered, "They never liked you, Jake. They always thought that you got in their way."

            "No, you're lying!" he shouted.

            The potentials all stood up. It was obvious that they were very confused by what was going on. They all decided to leave the room and go get food. They disappeared from Jake's line of view. 

            "You were always getting in their way," she told him.

            "Why are you telling me all this?" he questioned, "What are you trying to prove? You just came back here to tell me this. You left me. I was so alone."

            "I left you?" she asked, "You left me! You left me and went across the country. I was so lost. I didn't know what to do. I cried myself to sleep every night after you left me."

            Jake didn't know what to say. He never realized how much she had cared about him. 

            "I loved you, Jake," she said, "But you left me for that girl that you had just met. How could you?"

            This shocked him even more. He had no idea that she loved him. I mean sure they had spent like two years together, but he didn't realize that she'd gotten so close to him.

            "I don't know what to say," he finally spoke, "I never realized that you felt that way."

            "You think these people are your friends," she begin, "They lied to you for so long. They sent me away after they tried to kill me. I finally escaped from that place where I've been living for the past year and a half."

            Just then the front door burst open. Buffy and Spike barged in, Spike was out of breath.

            "Get away from him!" Buffy shouted.

            "Uh oh," Sarah said, smirking, "Trouble's here."

            "Get out of my house!" Buffy yelled.

            "Now, now, Buffy," Sarah said, "Don't be such a party pooper."

            "I said get out!" she shouted again.

            That's when Sarah changed. There stood an older woman. She was kind of tall with short, curly blondish hair.

            "What would you're mother say if she knew you weren't a welcoming hostess?" the woman said.

            "You're not my mother!" Buffy shouted, "And you're not welcome here!"

            The five potentials appeared in the doorway. They had heard all the commotion from the basement and rushed upstairs to see what was going on.

            "Fine, fine," the woman said, "I'll be seeing all of you later. Goodbye girls."

            And with that the First was gone. It just disappeared into thin air. Buffy breathed and sigh of relief. 

            "Are you alright, Jake?" she asked.

            "I think so," he replied, "It tricked me and I believed it. I can't believe that I fell for a trick."

            "It's okay," she said, "Anyone of us would have fallen for it. Remember, it had Spike tricked for a while."

            "I just don't know," he said and headed upstairs.

            "Buffy, none of us our safe anymore," Spike finally spoke.

            "I know," she replied.

            "If the First can get to our forces, then we are in trouble," he went on.

            "I know, but I just don't know how I can keep it from getting in here. It's trying to pit us against each other, to weaken us," she said, "I just wish I knew what to do."

The Bronze:

            Xander, Giles, Willow, Anya, and the seven potentials all arrived at the Bronze. It was closed and there was police tape surrounding the building. There were several officers standing guard and others were investigating.

            "Uh oh," Xander mumbled, "We're too late."

            "Well, we just have to hope that they all got out safely," Anya said, trying to cheer everyone up.

            "Willow," Giles asked, "can you teleport yourself in there?" 

            "I think so, why?" she asked.

            "Go inside and see if you can find their bodies so at least we have some kind of clue," he told her.

            "Alright, I'll be back in a few minutes," she said and with that she was gone.

            A few moments later, she was inside the nightclub. She gazed around in horror. Blood was splattered all over and bodies were lying everywhere. She decided to go up to the balcony and glance around so she'd have a better view. 

            She reached the top and headed for the railing. She glanced around at all the bodies, looking for Jake or one of the girls. She didn't notice any of their bodies. She turned to go back downstairs. That's when she saw a familiar face.

            "Tara?" she questioned.

            "I've missed you so much, Willow," she said.

            "Tara, is it really you?" 

            "Yes, it is."

            "B-but you're dead."    

            "I know but I'm being allowed to communicate with you from beyond."

            "Oh Tara, I've missed you so much," Willow said, as tears rolled down her face.

            "I've missed you too."

            "It's been so hard without you, baby. Sometimes, I cry at night, thinking of you."           

            "Be strong, Willow. Be strong for me."  

            "Why did you pick now to come back? It's been several years."

            "I couldn't come back. I couldn't come back until I realized that you truly were better."

            "What are you talking about?"

            "I couldn't come back until I was really sure that you could control your power. And now I know you can."       

            "Tara, I'm sorry that you were killed. We should have stopped that madman before."

            "There's nothing we can do about that now, can we?"

            "No, there isn't. I wanted to be with you. I wanted to spend forever with you, baby," she said, tears dripping down her face.

            "You still can be with me."

            "How?"

            "You can take a life. You can take your own life."

            "I can but I can't leave all my friends."

            "They aren't your friends. They sent you to that magik dimension before. How can you trust them?"

            "They were trying to help me. They had no other choice."

            "And you believe that? They were trying to get rid of you. They don't need you. Take your life and we'll be together forever."

            "Tara, how can you say that? They are my friends and they care about me. They love me."

            "No they don't. They wanted to be rid of you forever but that failed when you came back. They are still plotting to get rid of you."

            "You're not Tara!" Willow yelled, "She would never say that stuff! She loved me!"

            "Damn!" she exclaimed, "I tried. Oh well."

            "You're the First," Willow said.

            "That's right," Tara smiled, "You might as well take your life now because when I do, it'll be a lot more painful. I'll make your death slow and very, very painful. Well, I'll be seeing you around, witch."

            And with that, the First was gone once again. Willow fell to her knees and began crying. She couldn't believe that she actually fell for the First's trick. She wasn't strong. She was weak. How could Buffy count on her for the upcoming battle if she couldn't even stand up to the First's tricks.

            She slowly stood up and teleported back outside to the others. A few moments later, she was standing there, in front of her friends.

            "They aren't dead," Willow informed, "They are either walking around town somewhere or they were taken prisoner."

            "Well, let's hope for the best," Giles said.

Buffy's House:

            Giles and the others arrived at the house an hour later. They were all very tired. Giles pushed the door open and stared in surprise. There were the five potentials that they had spent the last two hours looking for, sitting on the couch. 

            "Where were all of you at?" Buffy asked.

            "Looking for the potentials," Giles answered.

            "Why, where were they?" she questioned.

            "I'll explain later. Where were you?" he asked.

            "I was out," she replied, "I had some other business."

            The others filed inside and had a seat in the family room. Jake came downstairs when he heard people come inside. Spike came up from the basement.

            "We have a problem," Buffy informed, "The First has been here. It tried to trick Jake but luckily Spike and I got here in time. It's trying to turn us all against each other."

            "It talked to me too," Willow spoke up, quietly.

            "What do you mean?" Buffy asked.

            "I went into the Bronze to look for the potentials," she told them, "It appeared to me and tried to get me to take my own life. It appeared as Tara and I almost believed it. Luckily it let something slip."

            "Are you gonna be okay, Will?" Buffy asked.

            "I should be," she replied.

           "Alright everyone," Buffy began, "This war is starting to heat up. If anyone from your past appears to any of you, run! It will be the First. Do not talk to it! Get away as fast as you can. We are not letting this evil pull us apart and turn us against each other. I need each and every one of you to beat this thing."


	16. Trip: part I

Trip

Episode 16 (Part I)

The Cemetery:

            Buffy and Giles had finally made up. After Giles explained himself and apologized, Buffy quickly forgave him. Now they had taken a few of the potentials out patrolling in the cemetery. 

            "They're impressive," Giles commended.

            "That's not the problem, Giles," Buffy spoke, "They're not all gonna make it. Some will die and nothing I do will stop that."

            "You're doing your best, Buffy," Giles reassured.

            "Alright, listen up!" Buffy commanded, "We are getting closer to the big battle and most of you cannot fight. That's why we are gonna start showing you how."

            "I thought we came here for protection?" Rona asked.   

            "Well you also signed on to be apart of this fight and you got to know how to fight before you can be in the battle," Buffy informed.

            The small group continued walking through the dark cemetery, looking for a vampire or demon. Giles was walking along in front of the group, while Buffy was bringing up the rear, protecting everyone from behind. 

            Suddenly a dark figure came out of no where and tackled Giles to the ground. Buffy dashed to the front and all the potentials began to panic. 

            "Attack that vampire!" Buffy shouted.

            "Get off of me!" Giles shouted.

            "Giles?" the vampire said and stood up.

            It was Spike. 

            "Spike?" Buffy questioned, approaching the bleach-blonde vampire, "What are you doing here?"

            "I thought I'd help out by patrolling," he informed, "Didn't know that all you had gone out. I saw you all walking through the cemetery and thought you were vampires. Sorry 'bout that."

            "Your chip?" Giles questioned, "Why didn't it go off?"

            "Chip?" Kennedy asked.

            "Well…uh…it's kind of a long story, Giles," Buffy said, ignoring Kennedy.

            "We had it removed," Spike blurted out.

            "You what!" Giles shouted.

            "I had it removed," Buffy repeated.

            "Buffy, what were you thinking?" Giles questioned, very angry.

Somewhere in Kansas:

            "Well, we made it so much further in a few short weeks," Cindy said, sarcastically.

            "Shut up," Faith said, "I've gotten us this far already and I will get us the rest of the way to Sunnydale."

            Other than a few occasional arguments, the three girls seemed to getting along fairly well. They were pretty exhausted from their trip and desperately needed a long rest. Unfortunately, there was no time at all for a rest. 

            "Can't you just teleport the three of us there?" Liz questioned, "I mean you're a witch."

            "Nope, I can't," Cindy replied, "I could only teleport myself a short distance. Probably not even out of this town. Witches don't have that strong of teleportation powers."

            "Oh," Liz said, kind of disappointed.

            "Okay look," Faith spoke, "We have to find another person that'll drive us at least out of this state." 

            "Is this what our lives are gonna come to over the next few weeks?" Cindy asked.

            "To tell you the truth," Faith began, "The answer is yes. Our only goal is to reach Sunnydale alive."

            "Figures," Liz murmured. 

            "How much longer do you think it will be until my temporary slayer powers are gone?" Cindy questioned.

            "I'm not sure," Faith replied, honestly, "I just hope that they last until we get to Sunnydale."

            "We are gonna have a lot of explaining to do," Cindy added.

            "Yeah, especially about the fact that I am still alive and about the temporary slayer powers bestowed to you," Faith put in.

            "Shouldn't we be going now if you want to get there before the end of the year?" Liz asked sarcastically.

            "Yeah, yeah," Faith said, "Come on; let's find another person to hitchhike with."

Buffy's House:

            Later that night, Willow approached Buffy with information on the bag that Robin Wood had given her. 

            "What did you find in that bag?" Buffy questioned, rolling out some sleeping bags.

            "Well, aside from it smelling weird, trinkets, weapons, one very large textbook. Translation is gonna be a bitch, but did you know that ancient Sumerians do not speak English?" Willow went on.

            "They're worse than the French," Buffy replied.

            Buffy turned to open the bathroom door and stopped in horror. Willow came up to see what was wrong and her face turned white. Chloe, one of the potentials, was hanging from the bathroom ceiling by a twisted bed sheet.

            "Oh my god!" Kennedy shouted, coming up behind the two. 

            A few more potentials came running over after they heard Kennedy yell. They stared in horror at Chloe's limp body, hanging from the ceiling.            

            "Get a knife," Buffy told Willow.

            "Good thinking but on the other hand, why the rush? Up or down, I'll still be dead," Chloe said, standing next to her body.

            "You're not Chloe!" Buffy shouted.

            The First/Chloe turned and faced all the girls, standing behind Buffy.

            "Chloe and I talked all night. She's really is a good listener. She knew you would all die eventually. Why wait, right?" the First/Chloe told them.

            "Don't listen to it, any of you!" Buffy commanded, "It's the First!"

           "Oh let 'em. The only reason Chloe offed herself is cuz she knew what you're not getting. I'm coming…you're going. All this…It's almost over," the First/Chloe told them.

            "We'll be here," Buffy shouted.

            "All of you?" the First/Chloe questioned, "But wait. I thought…" the voice became Buffy's voice, "They're not all gonna make it. Some will die and nothing I do will stop it," the voice changed back to Chloe's, "Hey! I didn't say it. But I'll be seeing all of you. One by one. TTFN."

            And with that, the First was gone from the bathroom. It just disappeared into thin air.

            "What's TTFN?" Buffy questioned.

            "It's tata for now," Rona answered, "It's what Tigger says when he leaves."

            "Chloe loved Winnie the Pooh," Amanda butted in.

            "Willow, where's that knife?" Buffy asked, coldly.

Unknown Wooded Area:

            Buffy stood in a partially wooded area, somewhere near the cemetery. She began covering up the hole she had dug. She shoveled the dirt back over the open hole. She patted the soft dirt and bent down to pick up the lantern that she'd brought for light. She sighed loudly and began to walk away from Chloe's grave. 

            "You knew that they wouldn't all live through this," someone comforted.

            Buffy turned and looked in the direction that the voice had come from. She glanced back to where the fresh grave was. There stood Giles, looking over the grave. 

            "Where have you been all day?" she asked.

            "I went out to look for another potential. The Covent called and told me the location of another," he replied.

            "You didn't get to her in time, did you?" she questioned.

            "No, I didn't," he replied, "And I feel bad that I couldn't save that girl's life. But you can't keep beating yourself every time something goes wrong."

            "Giles, you don't understand," she began.

            "No Buffy, you don't understand," he interrupted, "This is war. And war always has casualties. You can't stop people from getting killed. You can only try. Like you said before, some of them are gonna die and nothing you do will stop that."

            "You're right, Giles," she said.

Buffy's House:

            Buffy came walking in the front door, Giles followed. Everyone came into the family room and either stood or sat around Buffy.

            "Anyone want to say a few words about Chloe?" she asked.

            No one said a thing. They all stayed in their places, looking sad and some were sobbing.

            "Let me," Buffy said, breaking the silence, "Chloe was an idiot. Chloe was stupid. She was weak. And anyone who is in a rush to be the next dead body I bury, it's easy. Just…think of Chloe, and do what she did. And I'll find room for you next to her. I'm the slayer. I'm the one with the power. And the First has me using that power to dig our graves. I've been carrying you…all of you…too far, too long. Ride's over."

            She threw down the shovel, obviously very pissed.

            "You're out of line!" Kennedy shouted in retaliation.

            "No she's not!" Willow shouted back.

            "You're gonna let her talk to you like that?" Kennedy questioned, "Willow, she's not even the most powerful one in this room. With you here, she's not even close."

            "You're new here, and you're wrong," Buffy yelled, "Because I use the power that I have. The rest of you are just waiting for me."

            "We're only doing what you tell us to do," Xander piped up, "Because you're the leader and we're followers."

            "You should do what I say!" Buffy shouted, "Not just follow."

            "We're behind you all the way, Buff," Xander said, backing off, "We're you're friends."

            "Willow, get the potentials upstairs and break out that emergency kit!" Buffy shouted.

            "What are you gonna do?" Willow questioned.

            "I'm declaring an emergency," Buffy said.

Later That Night:

            Willow pulled out small, metallic objects from the bag and a large book. Buffy, Giles, Xander, Anya, Kennedy, Spike, and Principal Wood were all sitting around in the family room, rummaging through the bag. Jake had gone off for a few days, trying to recover from his encounter with the First.

            "What are those?" Xander questioned, pointing to the metallic objects.

            "The book says that they are shadow casters. You put them in motion and they tell you a story," Willow said, "You can't just watch. You have to see."

            "You can't just watch, you have to see," Buffy questioned, "See what?"

            "That's where all my fancy translating skills break down, but I think it's an origin myth. The story of the very first slayer," Willow replied.

            "Oh," Buffy said.

            "Okay, according to this," Willow began, "I think you put the puppet guys on, one by one. They cast shadows and the shadows tell a story."          

            Xander lit a match and touched it to the candle in the center of a clay rotating pedestal. Willow stood next to Xander as she read from the book.

            "First there is Earth," she began.

            Xander grabbed a metal plate and inserted its lower pegs into the pedestal It cast a shadow upon the wall showing a rocky silhouette with a crescent moon above. Just then tribal drums started to sound off somewhere.

            "What's that sound?" Kennedy asked.

            "Okay. So far, so creepy," Xander said.

            "Then there came the demons," Willow went on, "After demons, there came men. Men found a girl. And the men took the girl to fight the demon…all demons. They chained her to the earth. And then…and I…I can't read this, something about darkness."

            Each time Willow said something, Xander added another metal object to the pedestal. It was spinning, casting shadows on the wall.

            "What about darkness?" Buffy questioned.

            "It says you cannot be shown. You cannot just watch, but you must see. See for yourself, but only if you're willing to make the exchange," Willow finished.

            "Geez, Will!" Xander exclaimed, "When did you get so good at reading Sumerian?"

            "It's not in Sumerian anymore," Willow replied.

             She stared down at the book as the writing began to glow. It changed into English. The pedestal began to spin faster and the light started to grow, the shadows on the wall took on a life of their own and everyone saw the girl struggling against the chains, the demons approaching, and the three tribal men beating staffs on the ground. Faster and faster it spun and all in the room are confused until there is a bright flash.

            The pedestal was now floating in a blue and white mass. It was roughly the size of a door. Buffy stood up, circling the portal. She knew what she had to do.

            "I have to go inside," Buffy said.

            "No!" Willow shouted, "You don't know what the exchange is!"

            "Buffy, you don't even know if you're ready for what's inside there," Giles tried to persuade.

            "You can't go!" Willow shouted again, "You don't know where you're going or how you're gonna get back."

            Buffy hesitated as she stared at the portal. It was now starting to shrink.

            "I'm going!" she exclaimed.

            "How will we get you back?" Willow asked.

            "Find a way!" Buffy shouted and jumped into the portal.

            It closed in the blink of an eye. Everyone is standing around, very confused at what had just happened.

            "What did the book mean by an exchange?" Anya questioned.

            Just then, a bright flash lit up the room. A large horned demon appeared right in front of them. 

            "Ah, this must be the exchange student," Xander said, jokingly.

            Xander was grabbed off the couch and tossed into a table on the other side of the room. He lie there, unconscious.

            "Willow!" Kennedy shouted, "Use your magik! Send it back!"

            "I'm trying," she replied.

            She uneasily tried to start a spell. The demon backhanded her into a wall. Giles and Wood rushed the demon but were easily thrown back. 

            "Weapons!" Kennedy shouted.

            She grabbed two swords, tossing one to Anya.

            "What am I supposed to do with this?" Anya questioned.

            "Just attack it!" Kennedy shouted.

            The two girls rushed the demon, swords drawn. It easily swatted them aside. Spike jumped on the demons back, from behind.

            "Get out!" he shouted.

            "What are you gonna do?" Kennedy questioned.

            "What I do best," Spike boasted and began hitting the demon.   

            The demon reached behind and grabbed Spike by the throat and tossed him upwards. Spike crashed through the ceiling and into an upstairs bedroom. The demon turned and smashed through the newly repaired windows and ran off.

Unknown Location:

            A bright flash appeared in the middle of a desert. Buffy is thrown out of the portal and into the sand. She stood up and looked around. Then she turned and headed off to her left.

            After walking for a few minutes, she came upon three adult, black males.

            "Hello?" she questioned, "I'm Buffy, the Slayer."

            "We know who you are," the one spoke, in Swahili, "And why you are here."

            The three men began circling her, looking her over.

            "You were expected," the second man said, "The end is approaching."

            "You are the hellmouth's last guardian," the third one said.

            "No, latest guardian," Buffy corrected, "I came here to learn. So tell me what I need to know."

            "We have no knowledge to offer," the first one informed, "Only power."

            "You know what," Buffy concluded, "I'm not even here. This is all a dream."

            The third man came up behind her, without her noticing. He raised his staff and struck her on the head with her. Buffy fell to the ground, unconscious.

TO BE CONTINUED


	17. Power: part II

Power

Episode 17 (Part II)

Buffy's House:

            "Is getting thrown through the ceiling what he does best?" Kennedy asked, standing up.

            Everyone else rose to their feet, checking for serious injuries. Then, they gathered on the couches. 

            "Demon loose, no slayer," Wood said, stating the obvious.

            "We've got to get Buffy back," Willow informed, "I just don't know how."

            "You're got magik, use it!" Kennedy exclaimed.

            "I-I-I don't even know what magik to use," Willow said.

            "Why not just try all 32 flavors?" Kennedy questioned, "Worse that could happen is you could go brunette."

            "That's not the worse thing that can happen," Willow informed, seriously.

            "She's right," Anya said, piping up, "And you know, we have a choice. We can risk Willow's life and the rest of lives to get Buffy back, or we could just leave her out there."

            "If we play it safe back here, Buffy could stay lost," Wood said.

            "You missed her 'everyone sucks but me speech'," Anya told him, "If she's so superior, let her find her own way back."

            "Anya, the First is already up and running," Xander informed, "Every second that Buffy's not here, is an opportunity for it to show up and rip us to pieces."   

            "I can try to do a spell to get her back," Willow spoke up.

            "Well then let's get started!" Kennedy exclaimed.

            "Wait a second!" Anya shouted.

            "What is it?" Xander questioned.

            "Don't we need an exchange for Buffy?" she questioned, "The demon for Buffy."

            "We need to find the demon, dead or alive," Giles informed, finally speaking up.

            "I vote dead," Spike said, from the doorway, "Willow, get to work on that spell. I'll handle the demon."

            "You don't look to good," Kennedy stated, "I mean last time I saw, the demon kick your ass."

            "I can handle it," Spike told her.

            "Where are you going?" Wood questioned.

            "To get something I need," he said and disappeared into the night.

            Willow poured sand in a large circle on the floor. Kennedy had a very puzzled look on her face.

            "What will that do?" she questioned.

            "It'll help contain the dimensional portal that she is trying to create," Giles explained.

            "Shouldn't we wait for Spike to return with that demon?" Xander suggested.

            "No, I need to get started now!" Willow exclaimed, "Opening a portal that large could take days."

            She walked into the center of the circle of sand and sat cross-legged. She began to chant mystical words in Latin. Once she finished chanting, everyone stood around waiting in anticipation. Nothing happened.

            "You might want to put some coffee on," Willow turned to tell Giles, "This could take a while."

            Suddenly, Giles and Kennedy are blown back by a powerful blast. Willow looked towards the ceiling, her eyes as black as night, and screamed in fury.

Unknown Location:

            Buffy opened her eyes. Her head hurt a lot. She glanced around, noticing that she was in a large cavern. She glanced down and saw that she was chained to the floor with shackles on her wrists. She looked up and noticed the three shadow men, staring at her.

            "What is this?" Buffy questioned.

            "We are at the beginning. The source of your strength," the third shadow man informed, "The well of the slayer's power."

            The first shadow man spoke, "This is why we have brought you here."

            "I thought I brought me here?" Buffy questioned, "Listen you guys; I'm already the slayer, bursting with power. Really, I don't need anymore." 

            "The first slayer did not talk so much," the first man said.

            The three shadow men began beating their staffs rhythmically on the cavern floor. Buffy began struggling against her chains. The third man grabbed a small box and placed it onto a weird pattern on the ground. He then opened the box.

            "Herein lies your truest strength," the first one said.

            "The energy of a demon," the second one told her, "Its spirit."

            "Its heart," the third one told her.

            "This is how you…" Buffy began to ask.

            "Created the slayer?" the first one finished her sentence, "Yes."

            A weird black cloud began seeping out of the box and into the air before her. Buffy looked nervous. The first and second men are still beating the staffs on the ground.

            "It must become one with you," the third man told her.

            "No!" Buffy shouted as the cloud drew closer.

            "This will make you ready for the fight," he continued.

            "By making me less human?" Buffy questioned.

            "This is how it was then," the second man replied, "How it must be now."

            "This is all there is," the first man told her.

            The black cloud swirled around her, seeping into her nose and mouth. Buffy screamed and the black cloud came out of her nose and mouth. She struggled even harder against the chains as the cloud continued to swirl all over her body. It crept around her legs and up her skirt. 

            "Make it stop!" Buffy shouted.

            "This is what you came here for," the first man replied, "Don't fight it."

Buffy's House:

            Giles and Kennedy slowly stood up, rubbing there heads. Willow was now trying to cast the spell. Her eyes were still black and she was chanting.

            "Via, concursus, tempus, spatium, audi me ut imperio," Willow chanted, "Ah screw it! Mighty forces, I suck at Latin, okay? But that's not the issue. I'm the one in charge and I'm telling you to open up, portal, now!"

            "It's not happening, Will," Xander said.

            "Give her time," Kennedy told him, "She's getting it."

            "Or something's getting her," he said, "Will, think you better back up a little."

            "No!" Willow screamed.

            Her friends all stood around her, watching, waiting. Suddenly her hands shot up and a blue aura lights them up, searching for the closest beings. The aura hits Kennedy and Anya. They glowed for a moment and then collapse to the ground, unconscious. 

            The portal then opened right in front of Willow, using the energy from the two women. Kennedy slowly regained consciousness and sat up. She glanced around and noticed the portal in front of Willow. Xander and Giles grabbed her and Anya, pulling them back so they wouldn't get sucked in.

Downtown Sunnydale

            Spike had gone to the school basement to get something he needed, his duster. Apparently, Robin Wood had followed him.

            "Where are you going?" Wood questioned.

            "Got a job," Spike replied.

            "Nice coat. Where'd you get it?" Wood asked.

            "New York," Spike answered before disappearing into the darkness once again.

            Spike arrived in a dark alley. He had followed the demon by its scent. He is hit back for behind, his game face now on. He began taunting the demon, picking a fight. The demon began kicking Spike's ass, tossing him all over the alley. He smiled every time he got hit. He was looking for a good fight and the pain is just get him warmed up. He chuckled and began the fight.

            Spike was thrown hard against the wall. The demon grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up against the wall. Spike pushed off the wall with his feet, knocking the demon to the ground. He stood up and reached for the neck. He gripped it hard, twisting it until a loud snap echoed through the night. 

            He leaned against the wall and caught his breath. It's obvious that he was worn out and tired. He hadn't had a good fight in a long time.

            "I dunno your feelings big guy, but a tussle like that…is good for the soul," he said, reaching down and grabbing the demon. He walked off, dragging the demon, back to Buffy's house.

Unknown Location:

            "You think I came all this way just to get knocked up by some demon dust?" Buffy questioned.

            The shadow men continued beating their staffs on the ground. The cloud continued to swirl around her. 

            "I can't fight this," she said, "I know that now. But you guys, you're just men. Just the men that did this…to her. Whoever that girl was before she was the first slayer."

            She pulled together all her strength and pulled hard on the chains. They both snapped up, very easily. She smirked as she whipped one of the chains up, smashing the third shadow man in the face. He fell down, silently. 

            "You don't understand," the first man spoke.

            "No, you don't understand!" Buffy shouted, "You violated that girl, made her kill for you because you're weak, you're pathetic. You obviously have nothing to show me."         

            She lifted her and whipped the second man in the chest. He grinned in pain but came at her. Since the tapping of the staffs had stop, the black cloud just hovered in the air. She whipped him in the back of the head, knocking him out.

            She walked right over to the last man and tore the staff from his hands. Then she broke it over her knee. The black cloud disappeared as the staff broke.

            "I knew it," she said, "It's always the staff."

            "We offered you power," he informed.

            "Tell me something I don't know," she retaliated. 

            "As you wish," he said, drawing her close. 

            He grabbed her head and gave her a vision. She gasped in horror at what she saw. The man let go of her head and turned away. Buffy stood there in silence. A bright light swallowed her up.

Buffy's House:

            The front door burst open and in walked Spike, dragging the dead demon behind him. He noticed the portal and tossed the demon into it. The demon is sucked in. The portal closed, but not before spitting Buffy back out.

            Willow, Xander, Giles, Anya, Kennedy, and Spike all stare at her in disbelief. Spike held his chest and tried to catch his breath. Buffy stared back at them very confused.

            Later that night in the upstairs hallway, Kennedy walked towards a bedroom. Willow slowly approached her from behind.

            "Are you okay?" she asked, "You're been kinda quiet since…"

            "You sucked the life out of me," Kennedy said.

            "Yeah, since then," Willow replied, "Look, it's important that you know what I am, what I'm like when I'm like that."

            "I thought it would be…I don't know…cool somehow. It just hurt," she told Willow.

            "I'm really sorry," Willow said, trying to comfort, "It's just, you were the most powerful person nearby and…well, that's…that's how it works. That's how I work."

            "I got that. You told me." Kennedy answered, "I'll see you in the morning."

            She opened her door and walked into her room. Willow walked into Buffy's room.

            "How you doing?" she questioned.

            "Thank you for bringing me back," Buffy replied, "I was hard on you guys today."

            "Aw it's all right. You needed to be," Willow comforted, "Although Twinkie and kisses…also peachy motivational tools. You okay?"

            "I think I made a mistake," she answered.

            "What?"

            "Those men that I met…you know the shadow men? They offered me more power, but I didn't like the loophole."

            "So, you turned it down? Its okay, Buffy. We'll get by. We always do."

            "I don't know. They showed me…"

            "Showed you what?"

            "It isn't enough."

            "Why Buffy? What did you see? What did they show you?"

Los Angeles, California:

            The truck stopped in front of a motel. The passenger door opened and three women jumped out. Cindy, Faith, and Liz walked out of the street and into the light of a streetlight.

            "Well, here we are in Los Angeles!" Faith exclaimed.

            "We should be in Sunnydale by tomorrow morning," Cindy informed.

            "Well, that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Liz said to the others.

            "Come on, let's get settled in at this motel," Faith told them.

            Right before the women were about to enter the motel, they heard a loud crash in the alley next to the motel. Faith and Cindy headed towards the opening. Suddenly, they were knocked to the ground by two Bringers.

            "Oh shit," Faith mumbled, flipping the Bringer off of her. 

            Cindy kicked the other Bringer back into the alley and went after it. She began kicked and punching the shit out of it. She managed to dodge all the swings it took at her. That's when she felt hands on her back. She was then pushed into the wall by the second Bringer.

            She turned and glanced towards the entrance of the alley. Faith lay there, unconscious. That's when she heard a loud scream. She dashed out onto the street and saw the two Bringer harassing Liz. She ran at them, knocking them to the ground.

            "Are you all right?" Cindy asked Liz.

            "I'll be fine," she replied.

            "That's good," Cindy said, smiling.

            "Watch out!" Liz screamed.

            Cindy turned around and came face to face with a Bringer. It took its knife and stabbed it into her stomach. She cried out in pain. Liz screamed in horror, again. The Bringer let go of the knife and took off. The other followed.

            Faith opened her eyes and stood up. She rubbed her head. It hurt like hell. She looked over and saw Cindy grasping her stomach, blood seeping through her fingers. Faith rushed over and took off her jacket. She wrapped it around the wound.

            "I'm sorry," Faith sobbed.

            "It's not your fault," Cindy whispered, "I shouldn't have been so careless."

            "No, I should have been a better fighter," Faith replied.

            "That's not gonna help," Cindy informed as Faith tightened the jacket around her waist.

            Liz stared in horror. She couldn't believe what had happened. She couldn't speak, couldn't move.

            "Goodbye, Faith. Goodbye, Liz," Cindy said as she fell to the ground. Her eyes closed.

Buffy was back in the cavern. The shadow man reached up and touched her head. He showed her a vision. Millions of Ubervamps were lined up in some hell dimension, snarling and raising their weapons, as if ready for war.


	18. Meetings

Meetings

Episode 18

Los Angeles, California:

            "Oh my God," Faith mumbled under her breath.

            Cindy had just died right in front of her face. It was all her fault. If she had been a better fighter, she could have taken out those Bringers and saved Cindy's life. They had been so close. They'd traveled from Wales and faced some many dangerous things on their trip across the ocean and cross country.

            Faith didn't know what to do. She fell to her knees and cried. Liz still stood there in shock. Her traveling buddy was stabbed, right before her own eyes. Tears began to swell up in her eyes.

            "Come on," Faith whispered, standing up, "We better get out of here."

            She grabbed Liz by the arm and dragged her down the street after her. They were both crying. After several minutes of running, they finally came to a nice hotel. Faith turned to open the door when she ran smack into a guy.

            "What was that for?" he questioned, "You need to watch where you're going."

            Faith stood there, wiping the tears from her eyes. She looked at the guy. He looked very familiar but she didn't know where she had seen him before.

            "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, softening up, "I didn't realize that maybe you two just had a bad run in with someone. Come on, I'll get you a room. You two look tired."

            He held the door open for the two women and led them inside. Faith dried the tears from her eyes and then smiled. The man went to the desk and handed over a credit card and received a key in exchange, after the scanned the card.

            He walked into the elevator, the women followed. The doors closed and the three stood there in silence.

            "My name is Jake," he introduced himself.

            "I'm Faith and that's Liz," Faith said pointing to her and then to Liz.

            "What are you two lovely ladies doing out alone at night in this city?" he questioned.

            "Well, we were looking for a place to stay and our friend was murdered," Faith replied.

            "Murdered?" he asked.

            "She got stabbed," Faith informed, "We ran because we were so scared."

            "Oh," he said, staying silent.

            The elevator finally arrived at the right floor. The three of them got off. 

            "I got a room for you," he informed, "Its right across from mine."

            He tossed Faith the key. Then he unlocked his room and went in. Faith turned to the door and unlocked her room. She and Liz entered. They were still shaken up over the whole murder thing.

The Next Day:

            Jake had taken Liz and Faith out to breakfast at a small, cheap restaurant. It was obvious to him that both women were still emotional unstable due to the murder of their friend.

            "So where are you from?" Faith asked, finally speaking up.

            "I'm from a small suburb outside of Philadelphia," he replied.

            "That's cool," Faith said, taking a bite of her pancake.

            "So what were the two of you doing coming to town late last night?" Jake asked.

            "How'd you know we're new around here?" Liz questioned.

            "Well you did say that you were looking for a place to stay," he replied, "And you normally do that when you first arrive in town."

            "Oh, good point," Liz said.

            "Well we have been traveling cross country," Faith informed.

            "That's pretty interesting. Where'd you start from?" he asked.

            "We started in Wales and then took a ship over here to the states," she went on.

            "Where are you headed?" he asked.     

            "It's a little town near here, called Sunnydale," she answered.

            "Why would you ever want to go there?" Jake questioned, obviously he had heard of the town and was afraid of it.

            "We have some information and some help to offer someone. She goes by the name of Buffy," Faith continued. 

            "Buffy Summers?" Jake asked.

            "Yeah, how'd you know?" Faith questioned, "Do you know her or something?"

            "To tell you the truth," Jake began, "I was living with her and her friends. How do you know her?"

            "Well, my name is…" Faith said but was cut off.

            "Oh my god!" Jake exclaimed, "You're Faith, the lost slayer."

            "Yup, that's me!" she exclaimed, smiling.

            "But you're dead," he stated, "You died. You're watcher saw you die."

            "Nope, I'm alive and kicking," she informed, "I lost my watcher in an explosion. I thought he died. But I guess not."

            "Well, he came back to Sunnydale last spring. Then he just disappeared a while back," Jake went on to say, "So what is she."

            "Since you've been hanging with her friends for a while, you must know of potential slayers," Faith stated.

            "She's a potential slayer?" he questioned.

            "That's right!" Liz exclaimed.

            "So what do you need to tell Buffy?" he asked.

            "That I know about the supposed three slayers who the Council created when a new slayer wasn't called," Faith informed, "The Council used magik to temporarily give the slayer powers to a girl."

            "Who were these three slayers?" he questioned.

            "One was turned into a vampire and made the queen until she was kicked out. The second was her friend and I met her briefly. The third was our traveling partner," Faith went on."

            "Dani, Sarah, and Cindy?" he questioned.

            "Yeah," she said, "I guess you've met them before."

            "Cindy was my friend. She disappeared a while back while helping look for potentials," he told her.

            "I have some bad news for you," Faith informed, "She's dead. She was the one who was murdered last night."

            "No!" Jake shouted, "It can't be! She's still lost in England. She didn't die!"

            "Calm down, man," Faith told him, "It'll be okay. Trust me."

            Faith looked at him. He was obviously very upset. That's when she noticed something about him.

            _"Make that three slayers," an unknown voice said from behind me._

_            An unknown woman jumped at the mutant vamp with a stake. Instead of slamming the stake into its back, she slammed it into its side. The vamp dusted._

_            "Uh oh," one of the others said._

_            "She knows our weakness," shouted another._

_            Then they quickly ran out the door. Buffy and Sarah put their swords on their backs again._

_            "Who are you?" I asked the stranger._

_            "The name's Faith, kid," she replied._

_            "Faith! I thought you were killed," Buffy said._

_            "B, is that you? You've grown into quite a woman," Faith said, "Who's you're friends?"_

_            "That's Sarah, she's a slayer too. That's Jake, he's Sarah's partner. And you already know Angel."_

_            "Um guys. She escaped," I said._

_            "We'll get her later," Sarah said, "Her reign as the vampire queen is over._

_            "Faith, how did you know how to dust the vamp?" Buffy questioned._

_            "Simple, their rib cage covers their heart in the front and back. The only way to dust them is to stake 'em from the side or put them in the sun."_

_            "How do you know all this?" Sarah asked._

_            "I have been following them after I left Sunnydale. I was attacked by some a few years ago and have traveled around the world, hunting for them."_

_            "I thought that you were killed five years ago," Buffy said._

_            "Well after Spike captured you, I thought they were going to turn you. And I wasn't about to face you again. So I fled. I skipped town," she told us._

            "Oh my god!" Faith exclaimed, "You're that kid who was with Buffy when I saved your asses from those mutant vampires."

            Jake looked up, the sadness was gone from his face.

            "Yeah that was me," he said, rubbing his eyes.

            "And Buffy and I saved your ass that night in the cemetery when that queen vampire had you," Faith said.

            "Yeah, that's right," he said, smiling, "I remember that too."

            They three of them sat in silence, eating their breakfast. Jake finished his and then looked at the two women."

            "Let's go!" he said, standing up.

            "What?" Faith questioned.

            "Where?" Liz asked.

            "We're going back to Sunnydale. The three of us are going to help in this final fight," he told them.

            "Final fight?" Liz asked.

            "The First Evil is awake and reeking havoc on Sunnydale," he answered.

            He stood up and headed for the door of the restaurant. Faith and Liz followed. Jake got in his car. Faith rode shotgun and Liz sat in the back. They sped off for Sunnydale.

Outside of Sunnydale:

            A girl ran through the woods. She was running out of breath. She glanced back and noticed that the three Bringers were still hot on her trail. She noticed lights coming closer and realized that she must be near the road. 

She came running out of the bushes a few yards ahead of the vehicle. It was a pickup truck. She began waving and yelling help. The truck began to slow down. It stopped a few yards back. She ran up to meet it. She opened the passenger side door and got in. The Bringers came dashing out of the underbrush just as the truck sped away.

"Thank you so much," the girl said, trying to catch her breath.

"That's no problem at all," the driver said in a southern accent.

He was a medium height male. He had kind of long brown hair and dark eyes. The weird thing was he was wearing a preacher's robe and collar. This puzzled the girl.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Shannon," the girl answered.

"Well Shannon, my name is Caleb," he introduced, "I'm a preacher."

            "Hi Caleb," Shannon said, calmly.

            "Where are you headed?" he asked.

            "Sunnydale," she replied.

            "Looks like we're both going to the same place," he told her.

            They sat in silence for a few moments until Caleb broke that silence.

            "So what were those hooded men doing chasing you?" Caleb questioned.

            "I'm not sure," she answered.

            "Well did you ever think that maybe they were chasing you because you're a whore?" he asked, calmly.

            Shannon didn't know what to say. She sat there confused, but began growing suspicious of him. 

            "You were born dirty. It's not your fault. You just are dirty," Caleb preached.

            He reached forward and pushed in the truck's cigarette lighter. Shannon began to panic, trying for a door handle. She wasn't successful.

            "Oh by the way," he begins, "The door handle is missing. Anyway, you might not want to get out at this speed, especially with my 'boys' behind us."

            She reached for the wheel, but he shoved her back into the seat, effortlessly. The lighter popped back out. He pulled it out and held it against his ring, heating it up. 

            "Pl-please don't hurt me," she cried, tears now forming in her eyes.

            "This is the part that has you begging for me not to do anything?" he questioned, "You have nothing I want."

            In one swift move, his hand shot out and he pressed the ring against her neck. Her skin sizzled. Shannon screamed in pain. 

            "It's just the cleansing fire," he told her, "There is a car behind us with some folks headed in the same direction. I have a message for the 'accept no substitutes slayer'. Give this message to her!"

            "I'll give the message," Shannon replied, absolutely frightened. 

            "Thank you, Shannon," he said.

            He pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed her in the stomach. Shannon jerked forward in pain and disbelief. Caleb leaned over to her ear and whispered something to her.

            "Now let's see what we can do about that door," he told her and kicked it open.

            Shannon tumbled out of the moving truck and skidded across the road. She came to a stop in a car's headlights. Jake slammed on the breaks when he saw a person shoved out of the truck in front of him and come to a stop in the middle of the road.

            He unbuckled his seatbelt and shoved open his door. He approached the person.

            "Are you okay?" he questioned.

            That's when he noticed that the person was a girl. He also noticed that she was badly injured. She had a large wound in her stomach, a burn mark on her neck, and several cuts and bruises all over. 

            "We have to get her to a hospital!" Jake exclaimed to Faith and Liz.

            "I guess we're back in Sunnydale," Faith murmured.

The Hospital:

            Jake and Faith listened as the doctor told them that the girl would have to undergo serious surgery. Liz sat on the other side of the room. She seemed a bit jittery about being in a hospital. 

            "So she's a potential slayer too?" Faith questioned, after the doctor had left.

            "Yes," Jake replied, "She fits the description of what has been going on here. We'll get more information once she wakes up."

            "Shouldn't we contact Buffy and her gang?" Faith questioned.

            "I already did," he replied, "Willow is on her way over. Where are you going?"

            "I'm gonna go find Buffy," she replied, "Keep your eye on Liz for me!"

            "Don't you think you should ease yourself in?" he questioned, "I mean everyone thought you were dead. They'll be freaked out if you just show up there."

            "If Buffy knows I'm coming, then it's all good," Faith replied, smiling.

            And with that Faith was gone. Jake stood there wondering what kind of trouble this would lead to. He glanced over at Liz, who seemed bored out of her mind.

            "Where's she going?" Liz asked.

            "She has some business to take care of," Jake informed, "She'll be back later. You'll be fine here."

            "What happened?" Willow questioned, barging into the waiting room doors.

            Jake turned and smiled. She was someone who he hadn't seen in a while.

            "I was driving back to Sunnydale and she was shoved out of the truck in front of me. I almost hit her. The doctors told me that she needs surgery," he informed.

            "Did you get a good look at the truck?" Willow asked.

            "It was hard to see in the dark, but I know it was a pickup," he replied.

            "Who's that over there?" Willow questioned, "She doesn't look like she's injured."

            "Oh she's a potential slayer too!" he exclaimed, "I found her in LA."

Downtown Sunnydale:

            Faith was wandering down the streets. She hadn't been here in so long. The town looked so different now then it did last year when she came back. Everything was all cleaned up and there were actually people walking around. 

            She was so bored. She had no idea where Buffy would be and she forgot where her house was. In other words, she was screwed.  Now she wished that she had brought Liz with her. At least she would have someone to talk to.

            Suddenly out of no where, she was shoved to the ground. She landed hard on her side. She rose to her feet quickly to see her attacked. It was a vampire. He had bleach-blonde hair and was of a nice build. 

            Spike was just about to knock her to the ground again, but stopped. Faith took this opportunity to fight back. She gave him a hard right cross in the jaw. He was knocked to the ground.

            "Let me guess," he said, standing up, "Leather pants, nice right cross, doe eyes, holier-than-thou-glower…you must be Faith."

            "Who are you?" she questioned.

            Not letting him get that answer in, she began beating him. Once again, he was knocked to the ground.

            "Bloody hell!" he shouted, "What are you doing? I'm on your side."

            "Do you still think I'm bad?" she questioned, "That was a long time ago. I'm reformed now."

            She dished out several more punches.

            "I'm reformed now too!" he shouted, punching her back. 

            Faith gave him one final hit, again knocking him on the ground.

            "Stop hitting me!" he shouted.

            "What do you think? I'm stupid?" she questioned.

            "Well, yes," he replied.

            Spike stood up and brushed himself off. Out of no one, a fist hit Faith in the jaw, sending her to the ground. 

            "Faith?" Buffy questioned.

            Faith slowly stood up, rubbing her jaw. 

            "Are you okay, Spike?" she asked.

            "Yes," he replied, fixing his duster.

            "Whoa! Wait, you're protecting vampires now? Are you the bad slayer now?"

            "He's okay," Buffy informed, "He has a soul now."

            "Like Angel?" she questioned.   

            "No! Nothing like Angel!" Spike responded, obviously pissed, "Angel is as dull as a table lamp. And we have very different coloring."

            "I guess I have a lot of catching up to do here," Faith said, "Is there anything else I should know?"

            "Nice to have you back," Buffy responded, "But what are you doing back here?"

            "Excuse me?" Faith questioned.

            "You're supposed to be dead," she informed.

            "Oh, I guess you heard about that," she said, "I'll explain later. I have some things I have to tell Giles."

            "Alright, then let's go," Buffy said.

            Buffy, Spike, and Faith began walking down the street. After a few minutes, they arrived at Buffy's house. Buffy opened the door and the three walked in. Giles and Xander were in the kitchen, getting food when they heard someone come in.

            The two of them headed to the front door. Giles gaped in surprise at who was standing next to Buffy. Xander rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

            "Hi guys!" Faith exclaimed, smiling.


	19. Face Off

Face off

Episode 19

Buffy's House:

            "Faith?" Giles questioned, coming out of shock, "What are you doing here? You're dead."

            "Well, see it's a long story to this," she informed, "Why don't we all sit down and I'll tell my story."

            They all walked over and sat down in the family room. Xander finally came out of his shock and relaxed again. Faith began her story.

            "Quentin had sent Wesley and me with a group of operatives to destroy this building where the supposed queen vampire was. We found the building and torched it. While we were all cheering, those mutant vamps attacked and killed all the operatives except for us. They fled, so Wesley and I chased after them. We traveled across Europe trying to wipe out all the mutant vamps. One night, we found a club where hundreds of them lived. We went in to scope it out, but it was completely empty. Then explosions went off and Wesley and I were separated. I figured that he was dead. I managed to get out, but not before torching the entire building. I lived in Wales for a while," Faith told them.

            "I was there a few months back," Giles told her, "You didn't by any chance see any hooded figures there?"

            "Let me finish my story!" Faith exclaimed.

            "Go on," Buffy told her.

            "Okay," Faith said, beginning again, "I knew the Watcher's Council was somewhere in England, so I headed there. I snuck in there and found some weird documents, which I'll explain later. So back in Wales, a few weeks later, I saw some girl that I noticed from a picture in the documents I had stole. I pulled her into an alley and explained to her what she was. Here, she had be attacked by those hooded figures and been left there by you, Giles."   

            "Oh my god!" he exclaimed, "Cindy is still alive?"

            "Was still alive," Faith said, continuing her story, "We found some girl who Cindy told me was a potential slayer. We got attacked by Bringers but managed to get away. The three of us decided we better head here. So we got on a cargo ship headed for New York City. Turns out, the ship had a few stowaways, the Bringers. We defeated them even though we were outnumber. We made it to New York City and began heading cross country. Luckily for us, we didn't get into any trouble on our way here. While we were in Los Angeles, we got attacked by Bringers again. Cindy was killed and we ran into Jake. We exchanged our stories and he drove us here. And here we are now."

            "Faith, what documents did you steal from the Council?" Giles questioned.

            "Well it turns out the past three slayers called were not truly slayers. The Council was confused that a new slayer was not called after Buffy died the second time. They used great magiks to send the power to some girl. In other words, they created their own slayer line. Unfortunately, it was only temporary and would disappear soon after the third slayer got her powers. The Council figured that they'd be around to cast the spell again once it disappeared," she told them.

            "Buffy!" Anya called, "Willow called. The girl is awake."

Later at Buffy's House:

            Faith, her name alone invokes awe," Andrew told some of the potentials.

            A small group of potentials were seated in the family room, listening to Andrew tell his strange story of Faith.

            "Faith, a set of principles or beliefs on which you are willing to devote your life. The dark slayer, a lethal combination of beauty, power, and death," Andrew continued, "For years and years—or to be more accurate—months, Faith fought on the side of good, terrorizing the evil community. But like so many tragic heroes, Faith was seduced by the lure of the dark side. She wrapped evil around her like a large, evil Mexican serape. She became a cold-blooded killer. Nobody was immune to her trail of destruction. Not friends, not family... Not even the most pacifist and logical of races."

            He began telling the story of how Faith killed a Vulcan, a creature from Star-Trek. He even acted it out, ending his story by holding a stake to Molly's neck.

            "What the hell are you talking about?" Amanda questioned, "I thought Faith killed a Volcanologist."

            "Silly, silly Amanda," he chuckled, "Why would Faith kill a person that studies Vulcans?  
            "He studied volcanoes. He was a professor," Amanda informed him.

            "I thought you weren't supposed to make up stories anymore?" Rona questioned.

            "I'm not. This is true. Except for that... possible... word misunderstanding. They're the things you need to know about. Faith... has a history not to be taken lightly. She's a killer. Never forget that. You must stay on guard around Faith at all times. Your very lives may depend on it," he finished.

            "Andrew!" Xander shouted, coming into the room, "Stop telling stories. Buffy told you what would happen if you kept it up. And stop scaring the girls. They have enough things to worry about with the First and all."

The Hospital:

           Shannon lay in a hospital bed. She was covered in bandages. She still had scraps and cuts all over her face and arms. Buffy and Willow are standing there, looking concerned as they listened to her story.

"He was a minister or something... At least, he dressed like one. I thought he was trying to save me... at first," she told them.

"He—he picked you up on the side of the road?" Buffy questioned.       

"Bringers were chasing me. He said they were his boys... right before he burned me," she went on.

            She then pulled away the bandage on her neck, where Caleb had burned her. Willow pulled out a digital camera and took a picture for later studying. 

"He wanted to tell you something. Before he... cut me... he told me to give the slayer a message," she said.

"What is it?" Buffy asked.

"He said, 'I have something of yours,'" she replied.

Buffy's House

            "We've got a new player in town," Buffy informed, addressing the troops, "He dresses like a preacher, calls himself Caleb, said he has something of mine."  

            The family room was packed with people. All the potentials, Giles, Spike, Willow, Xander, Anya, Andrew, Faith, and Jake were there.

            "I'm tired of waiting. It's time to act now!" Buffy informed, "If Caleb has something of mine, I'm gonna get it."

            Buffy left the room and headed upstairs to grab a bag to house her slayer supplies. When she returned, all the potentials were gone.

            "I want to test the girls. We need to arm them and test them in battle," she informed.

            "It could be a trap, Buffy," Giles objected, "We don't even know what Caleb has of yours."

            "It could be another S-I-T," Buffy told him.

            "It could be a stapler," Giles replied. 

            "I'm going anyway," she responded.

            "Buffy, these girls have not seen combat. It is our job to keep them safe," Giles argued.

            "Well, its time for them to see some," she said, "At least the experience girls who have been her the longest."

            "It might be the old bait and switch," Spike informed, "The First wants all the power out of here so that it can come back and have all the potentials killed."

            "That's why Willow is staying here to protect them," Buffy responded.

            "I'm worried though," Willow interrupted, "I mean what if I can't protect them? What if I get them all killed?"

            "You'll be fine, Will," Buffy comforted, "I have faith in you."

           "Buffy, we know nothing of this Caleb. We should research and find out more about him. We don't know his power, his motives, anything about him," Giles argued.

            "There isn't time anymore," she argued, "We've got to do this now. You're staying behind. Help the girls that need a teacher."

The Woods:

            Buffy needed to find out where the First was hiding out. She had no clue where to look. Ever since they had stopped the seal, the First was gone from the school basement. Her plan was to follow a Bringer around until it led her to the location of Caleb or the First.

            She had dragged Faith out with her. They had wandered along until they stumbled upon a Bringer. It led them to the woods. 

            "Geez! How do they move without eyes?" Faith asked.

            "I'm not sure," Buffy replied.

            "And they move so fast. Maybe they have sonar," Faith proceeded.

            "Why did you come back, Faith?" Buffy asked.

            "Well, I wasn't planning on it. But then I met Cindy and she told me all that was going on around here. I knew that I had to come back and help you. I felt like I had to," she replied. "What's it been like around here?"

            "Well, last year, I faced a very tough warlock, claiming to be the First," Buffy answered, "I beat it and something told me that I had defeated all evil. Whatever that something was, it lied. Well, I got my house back. Or Anya did. That was after the Council base here was attacked."

            "Yeah, I heard about the Council getting destroyed," Faith commented.

            "Giles came back with three potentials right before last year's apocalypse. He left twice to go after potentials. The second time her took Cindy but only he came back. Spike was killing people because the First was manipulating him. He was captured and used to bring forth an Ubervamp. I beat that and rescued him. We took Andrew hostage. He had killed his friend. The First convinced him to. I dragged him down to a seal in the school's basement and got him to cry, closing the seal. I found out how the First slayer was created. That's about it."        

            "You have come up against a lot since I left," Faith said.

            "It's been tough, but we've beaten everything so far. I just don't know if we'll be able to win this time though."

            "Look, there's some kind of building over there," Faith interrupted, pointing in the direction of the Bringer.

            The Bringer headed towards the building. There was a dim light shining inside. It looked like an old wine cellar. Buffy noticed a sign above the door. It said 'Ville Vineyard'. Two other Bringers approached the other one and the three entered the building.

            "Looks like this is where he may be hiding," Faith said.

            "Come on," Buffy said, "Let's go get the troops."

Buffy's House:

            "All right, listen up girls!" Xander shouted, "You're gonna need to know how to kill something and I know most of you have never fought anything."

            All the girls were present in the family room and facing Xander. Willow, Anya, and Andrew were standing behind him, listening also.

            "Chest and throat if it's a vampire. Stomach, chest, and face if it's a Bringer," he informed, "If it is another type of monster, ignore the tentacles and go for the center, brain, eyes, and heart. Everything has eyes."

            "I don't care what this thing is," Kennedy said, speaking up, and swinging a sword, "I just want a swing at it."

            "You people are even crazier than her," Rona spoke.

            "Than whom?" he questioned.

            "Buffy, man!" she exclaimed, "I mean, taking us right into the bad guy's lair."     

           "Well, that generally where you go to find the bad guy and I don't think you came here to fight plaque," he countered.

            "No, I came here for protection," she replied.

            "Well you signed on to fight with us," Xander replied.

            "I understand that, but this plan is trouble," she said, "Buffy doesn't really care how many of us she puts into danger."

            "Let me tell you something about Buffy," Xander interrupted, "In fact you should all listen to this. I've been through more battles with Buffy than you all can ever imagine. She's stopped everything that has ever come up against her. She's laid down her life literally to protect the people around her. This girl has died two times and she's still standing. You're scared, that's smart. You got questions, you should. But you doubt her motives, you think Buffy's all about the kill, you take the little bus to battle. I've seen her heart, and this time not literally, and I'm telling you right now she cares more about your lives than you will ever know. You've gotta trust her. She's earned it."

            Buffy and Faith had returned during this little speech. They had stopped in the doorway, listening. It deeply touched Buffy.

            "Damn! I never knew you were that cool!" Faith exclaimed, from her spot.

            "Well you were always a little slow," Buffy replied.

            "I get that now," Faith replied.

            "Alright, gather your weapons!" Buffy commanded.

The Vineyard:

            "Alright here's the deal," Buffy commanded.

            She split the potentials into two groups. 

            "Xander, you and Faith stay with this group as backup and a perimeter guard. Don't let anyone inside," she told him.

            "What's our cue to come in?" he questioned.

            "When you hear lots of screaming and fighting," she replied.

            Buffy entered the vineyard, followed by Spike, Kennedy, Molly, Annabelle, Julia, and Danielle. 

            "What is this place?" Molly asked.

            "It's an old vineyard," Buffy replied.      

            "An evil vineyard, huh?" Kennedy said.

            "Just like Falcon's Crest," Spike put in.

            Buffy led the group through the vineyard. It was empty except for all the large wine barrels. 

            "Be ready!" Buffy exclaimed.

            Suddenly, Bringers shot up from everywhere. The battle began. Everyone spread out and began fighting. Buffy glanced around after killing the Bringer she was fighting. Everyone seemed to be holding their own. That's when the Bringers began to back off, silently.

            "Well now, you girls are just burning with righteousness, aren't you? You think you're blazing like suns when really you're burning like match-sticks in the wind," Caleb said, coming out of the shadows. 

            Everyone stopped fighting. Caleb walked up to Buffy, glanced her over. Spike was at her side, ready for anything.

            "I hope my boys didn't tire you out too much," he said.

            "Save the sermon, padre. I heard you have something of mine," Buffy replied.

            "Well I do now," he began, "You liked my little message, did you? You know, I ruined a perfectly good knife on that girl. Got her soiled blood all over the place. I may have to get a new truck…so, you're her. The slayer, the strongest, the fastest, the most aflame with that most precious invention of all mankind—the notion of goodness. The slayer must indeed be powerful."

            Out of no where, he backhanded her. The blow sent Buffy flying through the air and into a wall. She was out cold.

            "So what else you got?" Caleb questioned.

            Spike vamped out, instantly, and attacked. Caleb shoved him back, effortlessly. Spike lunged again. He gave Caleb a back kick, which did not even phase him. He grabbed Spike and tossed him across the cellar. Spike crashed into a wine barrel. He was covered in wine. 

            The fight resumed. This time, the potentials were not doing so well against the Bringers. Kennedy was tossed into a wine barrel, which knocked her out. Molly went to attack when Caleb grabbed her arm.

            "Miss, I do believe that you have your own problems you should be worried about," he told her and then broke her arm.

             He bent down to pick up a Bringer knife and smiled. He tossed it to a Bringer. The Bringer was about to stab Molly when an arrow hit it in the arm. Xander stood at the bottom of the stairs, Faith and the second group of potentials behind him. That's when Xander noticed Buffy, lying across the room, unconscious. Faith approached Caleb.

            "Well, you're the other one, aren't you? Your Cain to her Abel. No offense meant to Cain, of course," he said, eyeing her up.

            "Never was much for the good book," Faith countered.

            "Oh, it has its moments. Paul had some good stuff, for instance. But overall I find it a tad complicated. I like to keep things simple. Good folk, bad folk, clean folk, dirty folk..." he continued.

            They began fighting. Caleb had the upper hand though. Faith got a few good hits in but was losing it. He kicked her across the room and into a wine barrel, drenching her in wine. Caleb noticed Annabelle, staring at him in horror. He approached her and she held a knife up in defense. He grabbed her by the throat and lifted her off the ground. He pinned her against a wall.

            "What can I say? I work in mysterious way," he said, stabbing the knife into Annabelle. 

            She fell to the ground dead.

            "And also some straightforward ones," he said.

            Buffy came to and watched Annabelle get stabbed.

            "Get everyone out of here," she told Xander. 

            She stood up and charged Caleb. She surprised him, getting several good punches in. She gave him one final hit, knocking him into a barrel. Spike grabbed her by the shoulder.

            "We're leaving," he told her.

            Xander was standing in the middle of the wine cellar. He glanced around at the potentials.

            "Let's go!" he shouted, "We're leaving!"

            He turned to go and ran smack into Caleb. Caleb grabbed him by the throat. 

            "You're the one that sees everything aren't you?" he questioned, "Well let's see, what we can't do about that?"

            He waved his hand in the air and then jammed his thumb into Xander's left eye. Spike watched from a distance. Xander howled in pain as blood poured from his eye socket. Spike slammed Caleb from behind, releasing his grip around Xander's neck. Buffy rushed over and she and Spike helped Xander out of the cellar. 

Downtown Sunnydale:

Buffy was walking down the streets of Sunnydale, alone. She was trying to hold herself together. It was obvious that she was in a lot of pain. She had let her friends down, gotten Xander injured and some of the potentials killed.

            She had stopped by the hospital. She walked by Molly, whose was sitting on a bed, with a broken arm. She walked by other potentials, who were lying in beds, injured. She stopped at Xander's room. He was out cold. His head and eye were bandaged. Willow was sadly sitting at his side. Buffy feared the worse. 

           She continued to head back home. She walked through the house. The potentials were all over, nursing their wounds. They all gave her looks that pierced her soul. She continued her walk down the streets of Sunnydale. She had screwed up big time and was paying for it dearly.


	20. Remorse

Remorse

Episode 20 (Part I)

The Hospital:

            Willow sat next to an unconscious Xander. She was very upset over what had happened to her best friend. He had lost his left eye and would have to wear a patch on his eye for the rest of his life.

            "Willow?" Xander questioned.

            Willow glanced up and saw that Xander was finally awake. She smiled as best she could.

            "I lost it, didn't I?" he asked.

            "Yes, you did," she replied.

            "I guess I'll be just like Captain Longbeard," he said, "Arg matey."

            Willow smiled at the fact that he was making jokes even though he was badly injured.

            "Where's Buffy?" he asked.

            "I don't know," Willow replied, "No one has seen her since you all came back from the vineyard. She's taking the loss pretty hard."

            "How are the potentials?" he asked.

            "Annabelle is dead, Molly has a broken arm," Willow answered, "The others just have minor injuries. They should be okay."

Buffy's House:

            "Where is Buffy?" Giles questioned.

            "I'm not sure," Jake replied, "She was here last night and then she left. She looked pretty upset."

            "I hope she comes back soon," he said.

            "Why?" Anya questioned, "She got them all hurt by barging in there. It's all her fault. She shouldn't even bother coming back."

            "Anya! Don't say that!" Jake shouted.

            "It is true though. The part about getting them all hurt," Giles said, "Her impatience cost us dearly."

            "It's her fault that Xander lost his eye!" Anya shouted, obviously upset.

            "Calm down, Anya," Giles comforted, "Everything will be okay."

            "No it won't!" she yelled, "How can you say that? Xander is missing an eye, Annabelle is dead, Molly has a broken arm, and everyone else is injured."

            "We will get through this," Giles said, "We always do."

            The front door opened. They all perked up, hoping it was Buffy.

            "Buffy?" Giles called, "Is that you?"

            "It's just me," Faith said, coming into the kitchen.

            "Did you find Buffy?" Giles asked.

            "No, I search the whole town. I couldn't find her anywhere," Faith reported.

            "Do you think she could have fled town?" Andrew asked, coming into the room.

            "I'm not sure if she would have abandoned us during this time," Giles replied.

            "I sure hope she didn't flee," Jake said, "We need her for this war."

The High School:

            Buffy had given up on just wandering around town. She decided that she better go talk to Principal Wood about not being at work lately. She figured that he would fire her, but that didn't matter right now. She was too upset about letting her friends down to care about work.          

            She entered the high school and headed for her office. She noticed that the school was completely empty. It didn't disturb her that much because much of the town had also evacuated. She walked into her office. All her stuff was still in the same spot as she left it. 

            She found a note from Principal Wood. It read:

_Dear Buffy,_

_                I'm sorry that I didn't contact you. I had to close down the school. Barely any kids and teachers were showing up. It would have been pointless to keep classes going. I left all of your stuff where you had it. I knew that you'd be back sooner or later. Remember if you need help, just let me know. I'm more than willing to help out. See you around._

_                                                                                                        Principal Wood_

            She smiled. At least someone was still on her side. She didn't know if she had her friends' trust anymore after last night. That's when she noticed a picture sitting on her desk. It was her, Willow, and Xander. She broke down crying

            "Here comes the waterworks," someone said.

            Buffy spun around and came to face to face with Caleb. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

            "What are you doing here?" she questioned, angry now.

            "How's Xander doing?" he asked, "If you want, I could remove that other eye for him."

            "If you come near Xander again, I'll kill you," she threatened

            "Just like last time, right?" Caleb asked.

            He punched Buffy but she blocked. She gave him a sidekick to the head, but he ducked the blow. She began hitting him furiously in the chest, but the blows did not phase him. He just smirked.

            "You're pathetic," he said.

            He raised his fist and punched her. She flew through the air and hit the office window. She went right through. Glass shattered everywhere. She hit the lockers and landed on the ground. She was out cold. He smirked and headed out of the office.

            He stopped to glance at her body, lying there on the floor, surrounded by glass. He smirked again. Then he turned and walked down the hall, leaving Buffy's unconscious body to lie there.

            "I can't wait until I get the chance to tame you," Caleb said.

Buffy's House:

            Xander was allowed to go home. The doctor Okayed everything and gave him some pain medication. Willow drove him home. Everyone but Spike was waiting for him to return back to the house.

            Willow walked in first and Xander followed. All the potentials gave him sad looks. Anya tried to look happy that he was okay, but it didn't turn out that way.

            "Buffy is missing," Giles said.

            "What? Where did she go?" Willow questioned.

            "Faith searched the whole town, but couldn't find a trace of Buffy or her whereabouts," Giles informed.

            "I could do a locator spell," Willow said, trying to cheer everyone up.

            "It might work," Xander said.

            "I fear that she may have skipped town," Giles informed.

            "What?" Willow questioned.

            "She seemed really upset over everything. It may have been too much for her and she may have left, thinking it was for the better," he replied.

            "That's a good thing," Rona said.

            "No, its not," Willow countered.

            "Yes, now that she's gone, we don't have to deal with some tough leader," Rona went on.

            "She's right," Molly agreed, "Now Faith is the leader."

            "Huh? What?" Faith questioned, "I don't want to be the leader. I can't handle all that pressure."

            "Why Faith?" Kennedy questioned, "I should be the leader."

            "Kennedy, if anyone is the leader, it's Faith," Molly informed.

            "No way!" Kennedy argued, "It's obvious that she doesn't want to be the leader. So why should we make her?"

            "Look as much as I don't want to be, I have to assume responsibility as the leader  here," Faith butted in, "I have more experience, even though I don't think I can handle the responsibility."

            Meanwhile, Spike sat at the laptop, searching for details on Caleb. He wanted to know what he had that belonged to Buffy. He found what he was looking for. A local mission had some sort of carving with the same markings as Caleb's ring did. Spike turned off the laptop and headed out the back door.

           "Here's the deal," Faith informed, "We need to find out everything we can about what Caleb has. In order to do that, we need to capture a Bringer.

Downtown Sunnydale:

            Kennedy was wandering through the streets of Sunnydale. As she walked, she came upon an alley. She decided to check it out. She walked in and sat down, leaning against a dumpster. She was upset that she couldn't take leadership role, so she left.

            Suddenly, there was a loud crash. Kennedy jumped to her feet, scared. 

            "Who's there?" she called, glancing around the dumpster.

            A Bringer lunged at her with a dagger in its hand. Kennedy jumped back. She was terrified. The Bringer swung the dagger. Kennedy ducked, it barely missed her head. She turned to run. She ran straight into the end of the alley. Then she turned to face the Bringer. There was a look of horror on her face.

            The Bringer drew closer, menacingly waving its dagger in the air. That's when a net was sprung over its head. It fell it the ground, tearing at the net. Faith, Julia, and Danielle jumped down from the roof and quickly bound the Bringer with rope. 

            Kennedy breathed a sigh of relief. She actually thought that the Bringer was going to get her. She didn't think that they would throw the net down in time. She helped the others carrying the Bringer back to the house.

A Mission Outside Of Sunnydale:

            It had taken Spike all night to get to this mission. Luckily he had gotten a motorcycle and that made it easier to get there. The sun was just coming up as he entered the mission. He would be stuck in there all day until the sun went down.

            It was a rustic old building. Spike began wandering around, looking for this carving. There were several large curtains hanging all over the walls. He wondered if anything was behind them and began looking. It took him a few minutes, but finally he found something. 

            There was a secret passage behind the one curtain. There were stairs leading down into darkness. Spike glanced around the room and the headed down the stairs. It was very dark, damp, and cold. He reached in his pocket and pulled out his lighter. He flicked it on, lighting up the stairway.

            That's when he heard a loud crash. It came from further down the stairs. He carefully made his way further down. He saw something move quickly in front of him. It looked like a hooded figure. Spike smirked, realizing he would have a chance to take out a Bringer.

            The thing moved in front of him again. This time, Spike dove at it. Both tumbled down the stairs and landed at the base. Spike instantly stood up, leaning over the Bringer. He reached down and pulled the hood off the figure, revealing a person. Spike was taken aback.

            "What the bloody hell are you?" he questioned.

            "I am the priest of this mission," the man answered, "Although I am the only one left."

            Spike backed up. The priest slowly rose to his feet, rubbing his back.

            "What are you doing here at this mission?" the priest questioned.

            "I came for some information," Spike replied.

            "Information on what?"

            "Information on a man that goes by the name, Caleb, ever heard of him?"

            "Yes, in fact I have."

            "What can you tell me about him?         

            "Well a few years back, he came to us here. He was searching for something. He found this secret room down here. But something here made him angry. He burned his ring into my face and then killed everyone. I managed to escape him with my life."

            The priest pulled down his robe, revealing the scar on his check. Spike recognized it immediately. The girl that had encounter Caleb on her way to Sunnydale also had that scar."

            "What did he find in that room?" Spike asked.

            "There is something etched into the wall," the priest informed, "You can go down and see for yourself, if you wish."

            And with that, the priest pulled up his hood and headed back upstairs. Spike turned and headed towards the door at the other end of the room. He pulled it open, revealing a large open room. It was a normal room, with a bed. It also had a small desk.

            Spike noticed small letters written on the far wall. He headed over to check it out more closely. He was shocked at what he read: _It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield._

Sunnydale High School:

            Buffy opened her eyes and glanced around. She was at the high school, lying in the hallway next to some lockers. She slowly stood up and rubbed her head. That's when she noticed the glass lying on the floor around her. That's when it hit her. She remembered exactly what had happened.

            She came to the school and found the note from Principal Wood. She then decided to gather her stuff and leave. That's when Caleb showed up and knocked her through the window. She realized that she was lucky that he didn't kill her. 

            She forgot about gathering her belongings and headed out of the school. She had to figure out where to go. She thought about leaving town but knew that she couldn't just abandon the place that she had protected for the last several years. She couldn't go back to her house. She was afraid to face everyone. She had to find somewhere else to live. 

            She headed out of the building and began walking the streets of Sunnydale once again. The town was evacuating. People were closing up their stores, packing up their cars, and leaving town. The roads were crowded with people trying to leave. The usually clueless citizens now had a clue what was going on. 

Buffy's House:

            "What does Caleb have?" Faith demanded, hitting the Bringer across the face.

            They had the recently-captured Bringer tied tightly to a chair in the kitchen. Giles, Willow, Kennedy, Rona, and Julia were all standing around the room, eying the Bringer, while Faith interrogated. 

            "Come on!" Faith shouted, hitting it again, "Tell me what he has!"

            "It's not at the vineyard, like you thought," Andrew replied.

            "What the hell is he doing in here?" she demanded.

            "It's obvious that this thing is mute. I did a spell to allow it to talk through Andrew," Willow replied.

            Faith turned back to Andrew.

            "What is it?" she demanded.

            "That I do not know," he replied.

            "Where is this thing at then?" she asked,

            Andrew didn't say anything. Faith glanced over at the Bringer. It sat there with a solemn look on its face. It wasn't going to talk anymore. 

            "You're gonna talk!" Faith shouted, "We have ways of making you."

            She brought back her fist and hit the Bringer in the jaw. She continued hitting it in the face until she drew blood. She brought back for one more hit.

            "No stop!" Andrew shouted, "I've had enough. I'll talk."

            "Well, we're all ears," Faith said, "Where's this thing?"

            "It's below the streets of this very town, where we gather and store," he answered.

            "What is it?" she demanded.

            "I told you, I do not know," he replied.

            Faith turned to face the gang. 

            "We have our information," she informed, "I'm taking some of the wannabe's and getting this thing."

            She walked into the family room. Kennedy, Julia, and Rona followed. Giles and Willow stayed in the kitchen watching the Bringer. Faith rallied up a group of potentials, armed them, and left.

            "We can't let it go," Giles told Willow.

            "Why not?" Jake questioned, coming into the kitchen.

            "It may inform the rest of them and Caleb that Faith and the girls are going," he replied.

            "Well, what are you going to do with it?" Willow asked.

            "The only thing we can do," Giles responded, "Kill it."

            "But Giles…" Willow protested.

            "You can't do that!" Jake exclaimed.

            "This thing is a danger. It is part of the group that has been terrorizing us and killing potentials around the world," he informed, "Who knows how many girls this one has killed? There is nothing else we can do."

            "Giles, can't we just think this over?" Willow asked.

            "I've thought it over already," he answered.

            He took up the Bringer's dagger. Gripping it in his hand, he slashed it across the throat. It died in a few instantly.

The Bronze:

            Spike entered the Bronze. He glanced around, looking for someone. There were so many people there, so he wasn't sure if he was going to find the one he was searching for. He finally spotted the person over at the bar, alone.

            "Are you okay, Buffy?" he asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

            Buffy spun around at the feel of his hand and the sound of his voice. She smiled, but it was apparent that she was still upset.   

            "I think so," she replied, "I just feel so bad about what happened."

            "I know, luv," he said, "But I found out something that might cheer you up."

            "What's that?" she asked.

            "You were right all along," he answered.

            "About?"

            "The vineyard."

            "So Caleb does have something of mine?"

            "Yes."

            "What is it?"

            "I'm not sure. But I went to a local mission and found something that you might like."

            "What did you find?"

            "I found something carved in the wall. It read, 'It is not for thee. It is for her alone to wield'."

            "And that her would be me?"

            "I believe so."

            "And you think Caleb has this thing in the vineyard."

            "Yes, I do. You were right all along."

            Buffy rose to her feet and turned to go. She headed towards the exit, but turned back to face him.

            "Spike, if anything happens to me, take care of my friends," she told him.

            And with that, she was gone. Spike stood relieved that he had helped her out greatly, but scared that she was going into the vineyard, alone.

The Sewers:

            Faith and a large handful of potentials were searching for this hidden area where the Bringers hid their weapons. They finally made it to a large opened area. Faith smirked when she saw large crates leaning against the sewer walls.

            "Stay on high alert!" she commanded as they entered the area.

            She was right to tell them that because as they neared the crates, Bringers popped up from all over. They brandished several different kinds of weapons and charged the girls. 

            "Attack!" Faith shouted.

            The potentials spread out and began attacking the Bringers. They seemed to have the upper hand already. The girls had finally mastered the art of fighting.

            Faith swung her fist and sent a Bringer flying through the air and into a crate. It burst into splinters. She smiled when she saw the weapons that were inside. She dove over two Bringers and grabbed an axe.

            Swinging it, she took off both their heads. The potentials also began retrieving weapons and making use of them. Kennedy grabbed two daggers and pierced a Bringer's chest, killing it almost instantly. 

            After several more minutes of fighting, all the Bringers were dead. The girls cheered. They had won their first real battle.

            "Alright," Faith began, "Now we find what we came here for."

            Her and the girls began busting up the remaining crates, looking for the thing that Caleb supposedly had. The crates only contained weapons.

            "Hey!" Amanda called, "I found something under this one!"

            Faith rushed over to where Amanda was standing. The other potentials came over too. Faith saw it, a small metallic box below a grate. She had finally find whatever it was that Caleb had.

            She busted open the grate. Instead of pulling the box out, she left it where it was and busted the small lock open. She reached and opened the box and stared in horror. A bomb was ticking down.

            10…9…8…7…6…

            A look of horror was spread over Faith's face.

            "Get down!" she shouted in panic.

            5…4…3…

TO BE CONTINUED


	21. Strength

Strength

Episode 21 (Part II)

The Vineyard:

            "Instead of having me blow up that Watcher's Council, I could have been here sooner, terrorizing these girls," Caleb said.

            "Let's not discuss this now," The First said in the form of Buffy.

            "All she needs is one more push," Caleb informed the First, changing the subject.

            "That's excellent," The First/Buffy replied.

            "I heard you have something of mine!" called a voice from the door.

            Caleb and The First/Buffy turned to see who was intruding. Caleb smirked when he saw who it was.

            "Back for more?" he questioned, "And you're all alone this time. Did your friends abandon you? You know, Christ was abandoned by his loyal disciples."

            Ignoring him, Buffy walked down the stairs and approached him. 

            "Mr. Tough Preacher, always preaching a sermon to try and taunt people," Buffy countered, "It doesn't seem to be working, does it?"

            Buffy stopped when she was about a foot away from the preacher. She smirked.

            "You have no clue who you are dealing with," Caleb said, "Remember what happened the last two times?"

            "See, I'm not one that lives in the past. I live for now," she replied, giving him a punch across the face.

            The blow took Caleb by surprise. He stumbled backwards, but quickly came to his senses. Quicker than the eye could see, he went to hit her. Surprisingly, Buffy blocked the blow, shocking him again.

            "So, what do you have that belongs to me?" she questioned.

            "That, you will not discover," he replied, attempting to hit her again.

            This time she ducked and countered with several sharp blows to the chest. The last punch hit him in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

            "Could it possibly be something that I could use to win?" she asked.

            Caleb quickly rose to his feet and attempted a kick. Buffy countered and knocked him to the ground again.

            "What's wrong, Caleb?" she questioned, "You seem to be weaker."

            "This is embarrassing!" The First/Buffy called from the corner that it retreated to when Buffy entered.

            Caleb seemed extremely pissed now. He rose to his feet and gave Buffy a sharp blow to the jaw. It sent her stumbling backwards. Apparently, she wasn't expecting it. He followed it up with a side kick to her chest, knocking her to the ground.

            "Not so witty now, are we?" Caleb questioned.

            He reached over to his left and lifted a barrel into the air. Unfortunately, he had grabbed the wrong one. On the floor where the barrel had once been, was a secret trapdoor. Buffy noticed it immediately.

            Caleb tossed the barrel at her. She dove out of the way and reached the trapdoor. She threw it open. Then she turned and gave him a back kick to the chest, knocking him across the room and into a wine barrel. She then jumped down through the trapdoor. 

            She landed on stone floor and noticed another door at the end of the hallway. She walked towards it, cautiously. When she reached the door, she slowly opened it. She smiled at what she saw in the room.

The Sewers:

            5…4…3…

            "Get down!" Faith shouted in panic.

            She dove behind some remains of a crate. The potentials dove to the ground for cover.

            2…1…BOOM!

            The bomb exploded. Debris and rubble went everywhere. The weapons had been destroyed and pieces of them flew everywhere. 

            As the smoke and dust cleared, Kennedy stood up. She had a major headache and various cuts and bruises all over. She glanced around at the scene. Many of the potentials lay dead or injured on the floor of the sewer. She began to panic when she didn't see Faith. Her eyes panned the debris.

            Rona, Julia, Molly, Danielle, and Ashley all stirred and slowly stood up. It was apparent that they had many injuries. All the remaining potentials were dead. That's when Kennedy noticed a body underneath some rubble. She rushed over and uncovered the body. It was in fact Faith. She was barely breathing but still alive.

            "We have to get her out of here!" Kennedy called to the others.

            Danielle, Ashley, Rona, and Kennedy lifted Faith's body up and they all proceeded to leave the area. They had walked clear into a trap. It was as if the Bringer knew that it would be captured and Caleb had planted the bomb there for that reason. Whatever it was, Faith was unconscious and barely alive and various potentials were dead.

            The six girls continued their journey through the sewers. They had no clue where in fact they were going. They had no idea how to get out of there. That's when they heard a loud and ferocious growl coming from the darkness behind them.

The Vineyard:

Caleb had regained his senses and followed Buffy through the trapdoor. Buffy now stood before an axe-like weapon imbedded in rock. She walked up and stared at it. It looked all-power, capable of taking out anything. She reached down and gripped it tightly.

"Go ahead and try and pull it out!" Caleb urged, "Do you think you'll be able to remove it from solid rock before I come over there and…"

            She pulled. It came loose! She smiled as she held it up. Caleb stared in horror and she brandished the mighty weapon. He couldn't believe that she had actually removed it. He didn't think that anyone would have been able to. The carving had been referring to her, the one who alone could wield it.

            "Damn," he muttered.

            "Looks like you're in trouble now," Buffy smirked, holding the weapon.

            "Give it to me!" he commanded.

            "I don't think so," she replied, "Besides, remember it is for me alone to wield."

            She shoved the wood end at him. He fell to the ground. She took this time to rush back to the trapdoor and escape. She reached up with one hand and swung up and out of the door. She fled the vineyard, still grasping the weapon.

            Caleb pulled himself out of the trapdoor. He brushed himself off and muttered in disbelief. He couldn't believe that she was the one chosen to remove the all-powerful weapon. The First/Buffy approached him.

            "Don't worry," it comforted, "We'll get it when she has her back turned."

            Caleb smiled at this thought.

The Sewers:

            The girls all froze in their tracks when they heard that growl. They sure did not want to know what made it. Kennedy gathered her courage and turned around. She saw them, two Ubervamps running towards them in the darkness. She and the other girls put Faith down. They all began to panic except for Kennedy. She was finally going to get a chance to prove herself and maybe even become the leader of the group.

            She took an axe that Molly had been carrying and walked forward, prepared to take on these two monstrous vampires. The Ubervamps charged and Kennedy swung the axe. It broke in half when it hit one of the vampires. A look of fear crept across her face. The other girls began to panic even more. They all knew that they would die now. 

            Kennedy pulled a stake out of her pocket and the second vampire impaled itself onto it. 

            "I got it!" she exclaimed.

            The look of excitement quickly changed when she noticed that the Ubervamp was still standing. The stake was stuck in its chest. It growled loudly and pulled the stake out. It swung a massive arm at Kennedy. She jumped back, but didn't escape injury. The stake slashed her across her shoulder, leaving a deep wound. She cried in pain. Then it smacked her across the sewer.

            The first Ubervamp was terrorizing the other girls. Molly swung the other axe at it. The Ubervamp grabbed the handle in midair, tearing it from her hand. She screamed and turned to run. She walked right into the second Ubervamp and screamed once again. 

            Why did she have to come on this mission? She was still injured from last time. She couldn't really even fight. She couldn't fight with a broken arm. All these thoughts were running through her head during all this. She knew that she was definitely going to die. No one could save them.

            Julia summoned up all her courage and jumped onto the first Ubervamp's back. It reached around and grabbed her off. Then it tossed her across the sewer. Instead of continuing their attack on Molly, the two Ubervamps came after Julia, who was lying on her back in the sewer waters.

            Julia screamed as they advanced. She was injured and scared stiff. She couldn't get herself to move. She was frozen with fear. Thoughts rushed into her head. '_Why did I agree to go on this mission? Why did I help Molly? I'm so stupid! Now I'm gonna die because of my own stupid mistakes! Why isn't anyone helping me?' _she thought as the vampires closed in on her. 

            Kennedy stood up and looked on in horror. She saw the Ubervamps advancing on Julia, but there was nothing she could do. She couldn't fight them off. They were too strong. The other girls stood there panicking. Their friend was going to die and there was nothing they could do. 

            Julia screamed again. This time, hoping the other girls realized what danger she was in. But they didn't, none of them moved to help her. They all stood there in horror. She glanced over at Faith's unconscious body. She didn't even stir. This was it. She was going to die. And there was no one that was going to save her. 

            Suddenly, one of the Ubervamps was hit from behind. The blow didn't really phase it, but it certainly startled it.

            "Do you actually think I'd let you kill her?" Jake questioned, holding a mace in his hand.

            The second Ubervamp swung its fist, knocking the mace from his hand. The mace flew across the sewers and hit the side of the tunnel.

            "Uh oh," Jake muttered.

            The Ubervamp swung its fist again. Jake ducked and the Ubervamp hit the wall. Jake took this time to grab Julia and run. He reached the other girls and Faith, who was still unconscious. Willow was also there. She was helping to nurse Kennedy's wounds.

            "I'm so glad you two got here," Molly said.

            "Me too!" Danielle exclaimed.

            "How'd you know where we were?" Kennedy questioned.

            "I'll explain later," Willow replied, "We still have a problem here."

            The Ubervamps had recovered and began advancing on the whole group. Panic came across the girls' faces once again. 

            "What do we do now?" Molly asked.

            "Willow! Use your magik!" Kennedy exclaimed.

            "I can't!" she shouted, "It might take over me again!"

            "Willow, do it. Please!"  Kennedy yelled back.

            "I'm sorry, I can't," Willow replied, "I don't want to risk hurting any of you."

            Jake and Julia were standing in the back of the group. Julia was still shaking.

            "I thought I was going to die," Julia told him, "But you saved me."

            "You still might now," he replied.

            "I know, but at least now I know that if I die, it's going to be with you," she answered, slightly smiling.

            "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

            "I love you, Jake," she replied.

            "Look, save that for when we get back to the house," he told her.

            "Excuse me?" she questioned.

            "You can tell me when we get back," he repeated, "We're gonna get out of this mess. We always do."

            "Come on, Willow!" Kennedy shouted, starting to freak out, "Use your magik! Now!"

            Suddenly, a manhole above the Ubervamps opened and moonlight poured in. The Ubervamps looked up to see where the light had come from. Too bad it was at the wrong time. Buffy jumped down on top of them. She was holding some sort of axe. The Ubervamps were knocked to the ground.

            Buffy got to her feet and backed up. The two vampires stood up and went for the attack. She jumped back when they swung, dodging their punches. She gripped the weapon with both hands and swung it. It moved through the air like a hot knife through butter. It sliced the Ubervamps in half. They dusted instantly.

            Buffy held the weapon in one hand and turned to face her friends. She smiled then turned to walk off.

            "Buffy!" Willow shouted, "Where are you going?"

            Buffy didn't turn back around. She just continued walking into the darkness of the sewers. 

            "You don't need me anymore," Buffy said, with her back turned, "You have Faith to lead you into battle. Good luck!"

            And with that she disappeared in the darkness. Willow, Jake, and the girls just watched her leave. None of them went after her.

Buffy's House:

            "What do you mean you let her go?" Giles questioned, "You just let her walk off?"

            "Yes," Willow replied, "She said that we didn't need her anymore and that we have Faith to lead us."

            Willow, Jake, and the girls had returned back to the house. They were all exhausted. Faith was still out cold and lying in Buffy's bed, upstairs.

            "Well, as of right now, our leader is lying in a bed, unconscious," Giles countered, "She's in no condition at all to fight. And she probably won't be."

            "Giles, she will get better. She's a slayer and slayers recover quickly," Willow responded.

            "That's not the point," Giles replied, "Faith has very little experience in fighting evil. She cannot lead these girls into battle with the primal evil. Buffy can. Buffy has the strength to do so. Faith does not."

            "I don't have what?" Faith questioned, coming into the kitchen.

            "Nothing Faith," Giles replied, "Glad to see you're awake."

            "Damn Bringers tricked me!" she exclaimed, walking out of the room with a box of cereal, "They set me up with that bomb!"

            "Willow, we have to find Buffy," Giles continued, "At all costs. By the way, where is Spike?"

            "Oh, I hadn't even noticed he was missing," she answered.

            "I haven't seen him since the other night," Giles informed, "I saw him at the laptop and then the next thing I knew, he was gone."

            "Do you think he knows where Buffy is?" she asked.

            "Most likely," Giles replied, "But we have no clue where he is." 

            The two just stood there in silence, thinking. 

            "Willow, we must find both Buffy and Spike," Giles said speaking up, "We need them for this fight. There is no one else with their power. If we do not find them, then we are doomed. Then the world is over. We will all be dead."           


	22. The Chosen One: part I

The Chosen One

Episode 22 (Part I)

Buffy's House:

            Time was running out for the gang. The First was gathering power more and more each day. Caleb was still on the loose. Ubervamps were now roaming town and the Bringers were still terrorizing everyone. Spike and Buffy were no where to be seen and the gang began getting nervous and hopeless.

            Sunnydale was pretty much empty. The only people left were the ones in Buffy's house, Buffy, and Spike. The gang had spent the past few days searching the deserted city for her or Spike, but their efforts were futile. They had pretty much given up hope.

            "Willow, it looks like we are on our own this time," Giles told her.

            "Meaning?" she questioned.

            "That it is up to us to stop the apocalypse this time, without Buffy's help," he replied.

            "Giles, we can't do that," she argued, "We've always had Buffy here. We can't just give up hope on her. If we charge into battle, we will lose. We need her to lead us into the final battle."

            "I know, Willow," Giles said, "But there is nothing we can do. We searched the whole town, high and low. Buffy is no where to be found."  
            "We can't do this alone," she went on.

            "We aren't alone," he countered, "And as much as I don't want to admit it, we have Faith leading us."

            "Faith put the girls in danger. She doesn't deserve to lead us," Willow countered.

            "No Willow, Buffy led them into danger," he countered, "She led them into that vineyard without even thinking. She didn't have a plan, she just barged in there and that's what got them all hurt or killed. Faith was set up. It was a trap."

            "Oh so now this is all Buffy's fault?" Willow questioned, "Giles, Buffy has made mistakes before, big mistakes that always had some sort of cost. But she always made up for them, always came back to win."

            Giles didn't have anything to say to that. He just left and headed into the living room where the others were. Willow followed.

            "All right, listen up!" Faith ordered, "Time is running out! We're going to have to go into the battle soon. We can't waste anymore time screwing around! I'm going to lead all of you into this battle. Any questions?"

            "What happens if we just sit this one out?" Rona asked.

            "What do you mean?" Faith questioned.

            "What if we just wait for the First to attack?" she repeated.

            "Cuz then you can count on it that you'll die," she answered.

            "We're going to die anyway, so why's it matter if we sit here and wait or go into battle?" Danielle asked.

            "Would you rather die fighting? Or sitting here on your asses, waiting?" she asked.

            "Do I have to answer that?" Danielle questioned.

            "No, you better not," Faith replied.

            That's when the lights in the house went out. Everyone screamed and began panicking. Faith just stood there with her arms crossed. 

            "We're going to find Caleb and kill him," she informed.

The Cemetery:

            Buffy was wandering around, alone again, like she had been for a while. She couldn't find Spike. She wondered if he had fled town. She still couldn't go back home. She was too ashamed to face her friends after leading them into that battle and getting them all hurt. 

            She continued walking along. She thought about going into battle with the First all alone or if she should just leave town like the rest of Sunnydale. She didn't think she could just abandon her friends like that. They may need her soon.

            She kept walking through the cemetery, holding the weapon. She still had to patrol. Vampires and demons were still on the loose, even though a lot had left due to the very powerful evil brewing in town. She wanted to know truly how powerful this thing was. Sure she had used it on the Ubervamps, but she wanted to see if it could take out anything. 

            As she walked on, she came upon an open crypt with a light pouring out. It was puzzling to her that a crypt would be open and that a bright light would be shining out. She walked into the crypt. It looked like an Egyptian tomb. 

            "Ah, you must be her" said a comforting voice.

            Buffy spun around, confused. She didn't know where that voice was coming from. That's when a woman appeared from behind a. She was obviously old and dressed in white. 

            "Who are you?" Buffy questioned, holding the weapon, ready to attack.

            "Don't worry," the woman comforted, "I am not here to harm you. I am one of many. Well, I was. Now I am the only one left. Ah…I see you've found the weapon we forged."

            "Created?" Buffy questioned.

            "Yes," the woman replied, "We created it to help the slayer. The shadow men created the slayer. They became the Watchers and they watched the slayer, helped her. I am a Guardian. We looked after the slayer; we forged that weapon and hid it from the Watchers."

            "What is it?" Buffy asked.

            "It's a scythe," she replied.

            "What does it do? I mean, I'm sure it is more than just a weapon," Buffy asked.

            "It is a super-weapon. It was used to defeat the last pure demon that walked the earth," she answered.

            "Does this mean I have a chance of winning?" Buffy questioned.

            "It may. It all depends on how you use it. Remember, the end is near. You are running low on time," the woman replied.

            "Did she say the end is near or the end is here," someone said.

            Suddenly the woman gasped in pain. Her eyes bulged and she cried out. Then she fell dead to the ground. Buffy was taken aback. There, wedged in her back, was a large dagger, one that she had seen before. What shocked her even more was that Caleb was standing over the woman's body. He smirked.

            "Do you actually believe that woman?" he asked, "Women are always making up stories. You know, women are always such great liars."

            "Here we go with the sermons again," Buffy muttered.

            "I searched for several years for this mystical weapon. I searched all over the world. Then I came upon a mission near here," Caleb began, "I found a secret room there behind some tapestry; no one there knew it existed. I was so excited because I thought I had actually found the location of the scythe. Then I found the inscription. It stated…"

            "It is not for thee, it is for her alone to wield," Buffy interrupted, finishing his sentence.

"I'm not finished!" Caleb shouted in anger.

            "Oh sorry, go on," Buffy said.

            "I was furious of this! I burned a mark on the priest and killed all the others. Then I came here, to Sunnydale, the town on the mouth of hell. I came to the old vineyard, where I had been clued in that that was where the scythe was hidden. I tried many a times to remove it, but couldn't. I knew that I could never let you have it, so I guarded it, my Bringers and I."

            "Okay, this is getting really boring," Buffy interrupted, "It's a great story and all, but it's just getting too boring."

            "Women, always impatience," Caleb went on, "They can never wait for anything. You're a whore! You always will be!"

            "Careful with all those words there because if someone didn't know you, they might think you're a woman hater," Buffy countered.

            Caleb swung his fist at her. Buffy dodged and countered by swinging the scythe at his head. Caleb ducked and tripped Buffy. She fell to the ground, dropping the scythe. It skidded across the floor of the crypt and hit the wall. Caleb smirked and headed towards it.

            Buffy grabbed him by the ankle, causing him to fall to his face. Caleb groaned in pain but quickly stood up. He kicked Buffy, causing her to hit the wall. She came to her senses and tackled him to the ground, before he could reach the scythe.

            "You'll never be able to control its powers," Caleb informed, "Give it up!"

            "Never!" Buffy shouted.

           He shoved Buffy off of him and jumped to his feet. He ran towards the scythe, but Buffy gave him a roundhouse kick, knocking him into the side of the crypt. He grunted, then turned and ran at Buffy. He began throwing punches, left and right. Buffy was doing good at blocking them at first, but he began getting a few in. Caleb then surprised her and kicked her feet out from under her. She fell to the ground, her back hitting the floor. She gasped in pain.

            Caleb then bent down, lifting her up by the throat. He squeezed tightly and held her high into the air. 

            "I finally get the chance to tame you," he said, "You're finished!"

            He tossed her across the room. She hit the far wall and collapsed. She was out cold. Caleb smirked and walked calmly to where the scythe lay. Right before he reached the weapon, it was lifted out of his vision.

            "Now, now, I don't think Buffy would appreciate you getting your hands on this," the man said, waving the scythe in the air.

            "Who the hell are you?" Caleb demanded.

            "It doesn't matter," the man replied.

            He punched Caleb across the jaw. Caleb flew across the crypt and hit a pillar. That's when Buffy opened her eyes. She slowly stood up and saw Caleb lying on the other side of the crypt. Then she noticed the man standing before her, holding the scythe.

            "Angel?" Buffy questioned.

            "Hi Buffy," Angel replied, "I heard you needed my help."

            Buffy walked over to him. She embraced him in a big huge. She smiled.

            "Now don't we all just love reunions," Caleb stated, rising to his feet, "Now I seem to remember a certain bible…"

            She broke off the embrace and turned to face the evil preacher. She punched him in the jaw, cutting him off. He flew across the room and landed on the floor, out cold.

            "I told you I didn't want to hear another sermon," she said.

            "I saved this for you," Angel said, handing her the scythe. 

            "Thank you," she whispered, "I missed you so much."

            "I've missed you too," he replied, embracing her in another hug.

            "You people make me sick," Caleb murmured, standing up and walking towards them, "The only thing you care about is love, when you should worry about what is happening around you. The world will soon be crumbling around you and all you do is hold on to the one you love. You don't fight, you just wait. That's all you've ever done. You're all pathetic!"

            "See, maybe you're just jealous that you don't have someone. Have you ever loved someone Caleb?" she asked, holding the scythe ready to attack.

            "Well now, there goes the woman being curious again. Curiosity only brings trouble and that's all it has brought to women. Take Eve for example. She was curious enough to eat the apple…," he said, but was cut off.

            Buffy slashed him across the chest with the scythe. He stumbled backwards in pain. Blood was gushing from his wound.

            "What did I say about those sermons?" Buffy questioned, still holding the scythe in attack position.

            Caleb lunged at her, giving her a strong hit across the face. She groaned in pain, but countered with a blow to his gut. 

            "Oh god I've missed this," Angel said, leaning against the side of the crypt.

            She gave him a strong roundhouse kick that sent him flying into the crypt wall. She followed it up with a front kick to the face. His nose was now broken. Caleb fought back still. He dished out a few punches to her chest and ended it with a side kick. The kick hit her in the chest, causing her to stumble backwards. She regained her senses and knocked his feet out from under him.

            "You're gonna lose," Angel told him, "She's so going to kick your ass."

            Caleb grabbed her legs, pulling her to the ground. She fell with a loud groan, but still held onto the scythe. She whipped it around, hitting Caleb in the arm. It left a huge gash there.

            "I guess this thing does have the power to take you out," she said, rising to her feet.

            Caleb rose slowly, apparently angry. She took this great opportunity to end it. She swung the scythe back and then forward. It connected to his gut, slicing him open. Blood was everywhere. He gasped out loud. 

            "No," he whispered, "This can't be the end."

            "It is," Buffy replied, bringing the scythe down again.

            It sliced him across the chest once again. He shouted in pain, and then fell to the ground. He was dead. This threat was finally over. 

            Buffy turned around to face Angel. He smiled at her, she smiled back. 

            "It's been awhile," he said.

            "Yes it has," she replied, "It always seems like you come back just in time for the apocalypse."

            "You're right, it does seem like that," he replied.

            She smiled again then embraced him in another hug. 

            "What are you doing out here all alone?" he asked.

            "Well, its kind of a long story," she replied, "I led my friends into battle with Caleb, only to get them all hurt and/or killed, including Xander. I was so upset that I left. I haven't been home in a few weeks."

            "Oh, I see," he said, "Well don't you think that it's about time to head back and gather the troops to face this evil?"

            Buffy didn't answer. She smiled at him again. He knew what the answer was. He gripped her hand and the two of them headed towards her house.

Buffy's House:

            "Is everyone armed and ready?" Faith asked, addressing the troops.

            Everyone was standing in the living room. All the girls were holding weapons. Faith realized that she needed all of them to beat Caleb. She was bringing Willow with her this time.

            "What the bloody hell is going on in here?" Spike questioned, coming in from the back door.

            He entered the family room and looked around. He was surprised that they were all going out. 

            "Spike?" Giles questioned, "What are you doing back here?"

            "Well I came back to see if Buffy had returned yet," he replied, "But apparently she hasn't. So I guess I'll be on my way."

            Just then the door opened. All eyes turned towards it. Buffy walked in, carrying some sort of weapon.

            "I'm home," she said.

            Everyone stared in shock. They had never thought that she'd come back. What shocked them all even more was who followed her in.

            "Hello everyone," Angel said.

            Everyone was puzzled.

            "It's great to have you back, B," Faith said

            "Thanks. Where is everyone going this late?" Buffy asked.

            "Well, we're going in to face Caleb," Faith replied.

            "Caleb is gone," Buffy said.

            "You beat him?" Rona questioned from the other side of the room.

            Buffy didn't answer her.

            "Where did you get that?" Giles asked, pointing to the scythe.

            "The vineyard," she replied, "Scared Caleb when I pulled it out of the rock. It's some kind of scythe. I felt power when I pulled it out, like it belongs to me."

            "That's interesting," he answered.

            There was silence for a few moments, but then Buffy spoke up.

            "Alright now is the time," she began, "I'm leading you all straight into the mouth of hell. We're going to the school, everyone is coming."

            "But Buffy, shouldn't we research more?" Giles questioned.

            "No need to," she answered, "Caleb is gone. The only thing left to do is to go to the seal and defeat the First in the Hellmouth."

            Everyone stood in silence for a few moments. They were still holding their weapons. 

            Buffy spoke up once again, "I hate this. I hate being here. I hate that you have to be here. I hate that there's evil, and that I was chosen to fight it. I wish…a whole lot of the time…that I hadn't been. I know a lot of you wish I hadn't been either. But this isn't about wishes. This is about choices. I believe we can beat this evil. Not when it comes, not when its army is ready, now. I'm opening the seal. I'm going down into the Hellmouth, and I'm finishing this once and for all. Right now you're asking yourself, 'What makes this different? What makes us anything more than a bunch of girls being picked off, one by one?' It's true that none of you have the power that Faith and I do. So here's the part where you make a choice."

            "Uh oh," Rona whispered to Amanda, "Here she goes again. She comes back here making speeches about how we're gonna die."

            "Be quiet!" Vi whispered.

            "What if you could have that power... now?" Buffy questioned, "In every generation, one slayer is born...because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. This woman is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power... should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a slayer... will be a slayer. Every girl who could have the power... will have the power... can stand up, will stand up. Slayers...every one of us, make your choice, are you ready to be strong?"

Sunnydale High School Basement:

            Buffy stood over the seal, examining how they were to go about the plan. All the potentials were behind her, along with Faith, Spike, and Angel. The others were guarding all the doors out of the school. Giles and Xander watched one door, Wood and Jake watched the second one, and Anya and Andrew watched the final door. Buffy didn't want any Ubervamps to escape the school. 

            Meanwhile, Willow sat in the principal's office. It was directly over the seal. She had a plan to make the potentials all stronger. She sat with the scythe lying in front of her. She was going to draw power out from it in order to do a spell. It was to be the biggest spell she had ever done.

            Buffy, Faith, and the girls were all kneeling around the seal. Buffy held up a dagger and quickly cut her palms, then passed it to Faith. She held her palms over the seal, letting her blood drip on it.  Faith did the same and passed it along. Soon, all the potentials had cut their palms and were holding them over the seal.

            The blood quickly filled the design on the seal and began to glow. They had activated it. The star began to fold up, revealing a large hole. Buffy peered down into it. It was a large cavern, it was hell. 

            Willow sat in the principal's office, the scythe in front of her. She was chanting a spell. The scythe began to glow as she chanted. Energy began to envelop her and make her glow. She could feel the power radiating from this super-weapon. She felt connected to the scythe and could tell that the power from it was becoming one with her. It was giving her the energy that she needed to perform her spell.

            "She better hurry up with that spell!" Buffy exclaimed, "I'm gonna need her and that scythe soon."

            "She'll be here, don't worry," Faith responded.

            Willow's chanting intensified as she gripped the scythe. She screamed as a blast of energy left her body in the shape of a ring. Suddenly the blast of energy hit all the potentials. They all gasped in shock as some sort of energy entered their bodies. 

            "I feel it!" Kennedy exclaimed.

            "It worked," Buffy whispered.

            "I'm stronger," Danielle said, "I can feel the energy."

            "So, they're all slayers now?" Spike asked.

            "If my spell worked right," Willow said entering the room, holding the scythe.

            "Willow, your hair," Buffy mentioned, pointing to Willow's new look. 

            "What, what's wrong with it?" she asked.

            Willow reached for her hair and held a strand in front of her face. It was white! 

            "What happened?" she exclaimed.

            "It might be some kind of side effect of the spell," Angel put in.

            "It was weird though," Willow began, "I did the spell, but I didn't feel darkness coming forth."

            "Do you think it had something to do with the power in the scythe?" Kennedy asked, "Like maybe it ridded you of the darkness inside."

            "I think she may be right," Angel replied.

            Willow handed the scythe to Buffy. She gripped it tightly and glanced down into the hole. She was ready. She could feel the power in the scythe radiating again. 

            "Is everyone ready?" she asked.

            One by one, everyone nodded. 

            "Good!" she exclaimed, "Let's go!"

            She turned away from the group and then leapt into the darkness that awaited them all down in hell. 

TO BE CONTINUED


	23. The Chosen One: part II

The Chosen One

Episode 23 (Part II)

            Willow handed the scythe to Buffy. She gripped it tightly and glanced down into the hole. She was ready. She could feel the power in the scythe radiating again. 

            "Is everyone ready?" she asked.

            One by one, everyone nodded. 

            "Good!" she exclaimed, "Let's go!"

            She turned away from the group and then leapt into the darkness that awaited them all down in hell. She landed on her feet and glanced around. It looked different this time around. There was no ring of fine. It was a large cavern. It was just a large, empty, cavern. 

            Buffy walked forward, holding tightly to the scythe. She was ready for anything. A few moments passed and soon her friends and the girls began to appear behind her. Angel was the last one down. They all came up behind her, glancing around, and holding their weapons, ready for battle.

            "It's deserted," Danielle said.

            "Be on your guard!" Buffy commanded.

            Faith came up to her side, holding an axe; Willow came up on her other side. Angel and Spike brought up the rear, protecting the girls if anything got them from behind. The large group continued walking along.

            "Slayer!" someone shouted.

           Buffy glanced around, looking for the source of the voice. She couldn't find anything. That's when the First appeared, a few feet in front of her. It was in the form of her.

            "It's nice of you to drop by," Buffy/The First said, "But don't you think its kind of stupid to risk your life by coming down here into the Hellmouth and attempting to take on my army of Ubervamps?"

            Ignoring the First, Buffy commented, "I like what you've done to the place. But I think it could use more color. You know cavern-like paint isn't exactly exciting."

            "It strange how you can make jokes even though you're about to die," Buffy/The First told her.

            "You're taking all the fun away from it," Buffy responded, "You Big Bads are all so humorless. Lighten up!"

            "I have a few surprises in store for all of you. You just wait and see. Then I'll be the one laughing," Buffy/The First countered.

            "Give it your best shot!" Buffy shouted.

            "Prepare to meet my army!" Buffy/The First shouted.

Sunnydale High School:

            "So, you used to be principal of this school?" Jake questioned.

            "Yeah before all this started happening," Wood replied.

            Jake and Wood were situated at one of the doors to the basement. Buffy had ordered them to guard it while she and the others went below. They were to let nothing in and nothing out.

            "So what are you doing sticking around here?" Wood asked.

            "Well last year, I was a Council Operative," Jake answered, "My best friend was a slayer and we had to free Sunnydale from the wraith of the evil vampire queen, who was my ex-girlfriend, also a slayer." 

            "Sounds like you've had it rough here," Wood said.

            "Yeah, I haven't really fit in here since I freed Buffy from that cell way back when," he went on, "I even left after a while, but was destined to come back because my friend had been killed and now my new girlfriend was the slayer."

            "Seems like you're drawn to slayers," Wood commented.

            "You know, I never really thought about it," Jake said, "I think you're right though."

            Suddenly there was a loud crash! They turned their attention down the hall. It sounded like someone was trying to break into the school.

            "Well, that's never a good sound," Jake said.

            "What do you think it is?" Wood asked.

            Jake was no longer facing the same direction would was. He was looking down the other direction. 

            "Bringers," he mumbled.

            "Do you think?" 

            "No, I know," he replied.

            "How?" Wood asked. 

            Jake aimed his crossbow and fired down the hallway.

            "What the hell are you doing?" Wood shouted, "You're wasting ammo."

            Jake didn't reply. The crossbow reloaded and he shot another bolt. Wood looked up in horror. A whole army of Bringers were headed down the hallway. There came another crash down the other way. The two spun around to see more Bringers coming in from that side. They were cornered.

            "We're so screwed," Jake muttered under his breath.

            "What do you say, you wanna run?" Wood asked.

            "Sounds fine with me," Jake replied.

            Wood pulled open the basement door and the two of them slipped inside. Jake found a piece of metal at the bottom of the steps. They used it to barricade the door.

            "Let's go find that room with the seal," Jake said.

            The two headed off into the dimly lit basement maze.

The Hellmouth:

            Buffy and Faith stood side by side, gazing at Buffy/The First. The girls, Willow, Angel, and Spike were behind them, all ready for the fight. They had received training from Buffy and were ready to fight side by side with her.

            "My army is ready," Buffy/The First told them, "Prepare to face your demise!" 

            Suddenly thousands of Ubervamps appeared from behind the First. They were all carrying some sort of staff. They snarled and growled at the small group they were about to kill. A look of fear crossed everyone's face, except Buffy's. She just stood there, standing strong. 

            "Attack!" Buffy/The First shouted.

            The Ubervamps began to charge towards the group. The growled in fury as they ran, raising their weapons.

            "Everyone ready?" Buffy called.

            She raised the scythe above her head. 

            "Attack!" Buffy shouted.

            The girls held their weapons in attack position and ran towards the approaching army of Ubervamps. They had Buffy and Faith leading them. Buffy brought the scythe back and then sliced cleanly through three Ubervamps. She continued running.

            Soon, everyone was spread out, fighting their own opponents. The echoes of shouted and crying were heard throughout the large cavern as the first continued.

            Faith was easily holding her own against the Ubervamps. She swung her axe and decapitated one. She brought the end metal end back and pierced another in the heart. It turned to dust. She swung the blade around and gutted a third through the dust of the previous one. She smiled as she dusted two more. But her smile quickly changed to a look of horror as she was attacked from behind by three of them. They knocked her to the ground and began pummeling her. 

            The axe had been knocked from her hands and was lying a few inches within range. She reached for it, but it was picked up. She glanced upwards and saw that a fourth Ubervamp had claimed it. The massive vampire raised it to attack. Faith gasped in fear. She knew what this would come to. 

            The vampire howled in pain. It dusted. So did the three that were attacking her. She slowly rose to her feet. Buffy was standing there, holding the axe in her hand. She handed it back.

            "Thanks B," Faith said.

            "Come on, let's do this," Buffy replied and headed back into the battle.

            Willow was using fire spells against the vampires. They seemed to work best. She easily torched a large group of eight or nine of them that we heading towards her. She heard a loud scream and turned to her right. She saw Danielle surrounded by five Ubervamps. She chanted another spell and then dashed over to help.

The spell had given her strength and she easily tossed aside three of them. She backhanded a fourth and lifted the fifth clear off the ground. She tossed it on to a near by stalagmite. It dusted.

"Are you alright?" she asked Danielle.

            "Yeah, I'll be fine," the girl replied.

            Both of them ran off after more Ubervamps.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            After a half hour of searching for the seal, Jake and Wood had finally found it. They weren't the only ones there though. Giles, Xander, Anya, and Andrew were all seated against the wall.

            "What happened with you guys?" Jake asked.

            "A large group of Bringers got into the school. We were surrounded on both sides and had no choice but to leave our posts and head down here," Giles replied.

            "The same goes for us," Anya added.

            "I'm guessing that the same thing happened with the two of you?" Giles questioned.

            "Yeah, there was like thousands of them," Jake answered.

            "Hello?" Andrew questioned.

            "What is it?" Xander asked.

            "Don't you all realize that they will be down here after us shortly?" he asked.

            "Well then I think we will be able to handle them," Wood replied.

            "He's right," Giles agreed, "There is only one door and only so many of them can get in at one time. We should be able to take them out pretty easily."

            That's when a loud bang came from the large, steel door. The group turned to face it, drawing their weapons.

            "And I'm guessing that they're hear already," Xander said.

            "Ready yourselves!" Giles commanded, "They'll be in here shortly."

            There came several more bangs and then finally the door busted open. Several Bringers were standing in its place. Anya and Jake fired their crossbows at them. Some dropped, but there was still too many.

            They entered the room and the attack began. Giles swung a mace, knocking a few of them to the ground. Wood decapitated two with the swing of an axe. Xander toppled a few with his mace, slowing the descent down a bit. Jake and Anya continued firing crossbow bolts into the oncoming Bringers. They were dropping like flies, but every time one was killed, two more filled its space.

            Giles swung the mace again, knocking two into the wall. The third one, he knocked down into the Hellmouth. More Bringers were piling into the large room. Soon enough, they had the group completely surrounded around the seal.

            "We're screwed," Jake commented.

            "We have only one way to go!" Anya shouted.

            "No, we can't!" Giles commanded, "We have no clue what Buffy and the others are facing down there. If we head down there, we'll be letting Buffy down."

            "He's right," Wood agreed, "We can't let her down now."

            Jake reloaded his crossbow and fired at the one side of Bringers. Anya fired at the other side. Giles and Xander managed to knock more of them back into the crowd. Wood and Andrew easily decapitated several more of them. Unfortunately, Wood had gotten slashed across the back by one and was badly injured. He kept fighting though.

            Anya was firing bolts into the army. She was knocking them down quickly. But soon, they began to close in on her. She couldn't hold them off very longer. Neither could Andrew or Wood, who were helping her. One Bringer got close enough and knocked the crossbow from her hands. She screamed in fear.

            A few more Bringers approached the now unarmed Anya. She turned and made a dash for the crossbow. As she bent down to pick it up, she screamed in pain. A Bringer had stabbed her through the back.

            "Anya!" Xander shouted, quickly knocking away the Bringer with the mace.

            Xander was quickly knocked away by five more Bringers. Anya fell to the ground, gasping in pain as the Bringers continued to attack her. Within moments, they left the fallen girl. She was dead. She had been stabbed multiple times. 

Xander gaped in horror at what had just happened to his ex-girlfriend. With a burst of adrenaline, he charged the Bringers, mace swinging, knocking them all over the place. 

The Hellmouth: 

"Molly!" Kennedy shouted, "Look out!" 

            But the warning was too late. Molly was slashed across the back by an Ubervamp. She cried out in pain as its claws tore up her back. Two more descended on her, ripping her to pieces.

            "Oh my god!" Kennedy shouted.

            She rushed over, slicing the three vampires in half with her sword. She looked down at the pieces of her fellow slayer. 

            "It'll be okay," Buffy said, coming up behind her, "I've said this before, some of us will die."

            She shoved the scythe back. It stabbed an Ubervamp in the heart, dusting it.

            "Some of us will live and we will have a story to tell about how we won," Buffy went on, spinning around and slicing two more in half.

            Kennedy stabbed her sword into an Ubervamp approaching from her left.

            "I see what you mean," she replied.

            Buffy smiled and sliced another across the chest. She followed in up with a blow to the head. It dusted. She stabbed another through the dust. 

            "Catch you later," Buffy said and headed off to help the others.

            She was too late to help Amanda and Rona though. She reached the two just as Amanda was clawed to shreds. Her body fell to the ground, next to Rona's. Buffy swung the scythe, decapitating the five that had killed the two girls.

            "Watch your back, B!" Faith called.

            An Ubervamp had come up from behind and stabbed her in the back. Buffy gasped in pain. She fell to her knees, blood seeping from the wound in her chest. Faith decapitated the Ubervamp and came up beside her.

            "Are you okay, B?" Faith asked.

            "Hold the line," she replied, handing the scythe to Faith.

            "Are you sure?" 

            "Yes."

            Faith spun around and swung the blade, cutting an Ubervamp right down the middle. 

            "I can feel its power," she whispered and headed off.

            Buffy fell to the ground. She was laid face-first in the dirt. She was in pain

            "Oh no…ow!" Buffy/The First said, appearing in front of her, "Mommy, this mortal wound is all…itchy. You know, all that time, all those ghosts appearing to you, the shape shifter, the angel, everything, it was all me. I fooled you all. That sorcerer was a minion sent to toy with you. He was never supposed to kill you. That was my job."

            Buffy didn't say anything. There was a lot of pain, too much. But she had to do something. She couldn't just abandon her friends now. 

            "You pulled a nice trick," the First said, "You came pretty close to smacking me down. What more do you want?"

            "I want you…to get out of my face!" she shouted, gathering all her energy and rising to her feet. 

            The First disappeared and Buffy dashed off in the direction Faith had gone. She winced in pain as she ran. She found Faith a several feet away, easily slicing apart the Ubervamps.

            Meanwhile Angel and Spike were busy fighting off their own opponents. Spike side kicked an Ubervamp and Angel staked it. Spike spun around and plunged the stake into another Ubervamp. It dusted. Soon, the two vampires were knocked back.

            Buffy approached Faith and hacked the head off an Ubervamp with the axe. She ducked a punch and jabbed the axe into another. It dusted. 

            "Good to see you up, B," Faith said, gutting one of the massive vampires.

            "I see your handling the scythe well," Buffy replied, decapitating another.

            "Yeah, but it doesn't feel right using it," Faith went on, "It's yours, so you should use it."

            Faith tossed the scythe to Buffy, who tossed the axe back to Faith. Buffy caught the scythe and stabbed the pointed wooden end through the chest of another Ubervamp. That's when her eye caught something. She noticed Spike and Angel were getting beat pretty badly. She rushed off to help them. 

Spike was lying on the ground, being kicked in the side. Several of his ribs cracked. He winced in pain as another kicked him into a stalagmite. Just as an Ubervamp was about to kick Spike again, Buffy arrived and easily staked it. She helped Spike up and the two ran to Angel's side. 

She made quick work of the three Ubervamps attacking Angel. She helped the vampire to his feet. 

"Angel, this doesn't look good," she informed.

"What do you mean?" he asked, tossing an Ubervamp aside.

"What is we can't beat the army?" she asked, "Angel, I'm going to need someone for backup if I fall."

"You mean me?" he asked.

"Angel, I need you to go back to LA and set up a second front if I do fail," she answered.

"I'll do that, Buffy," he told her.

He turned to go up the ramp leading to the hole connecting the Hellmouth to Sunnydale. He stopped and turned back.

"I almost forgot," he began, pulling out an amulet.

"Angel, it doesn't match anything that I have," she said sarcastically.

"It's not for you," he said, "It's very powerful and probably very dangerous. It has a purifying power, a cleansing power. It bestows power to the right person that wears it."

"And that person is?" she questioned, staking another Ubervamp.

"Someone ensouled, more than human, a champion, as in me," he told her.

"Or me," she said.

"No," he said, sternly, "I don't know nearly enough about this to risk you wearing it. Besides, you have that really cool axe-thing going for you."

He handed it to her and she slid it into her pocket. Angel turned and made a dash for the exit.

"Buffy," he called before climbing up, "Good luck."

Buffy looked around for Spike. He had walked away while Buffy was talking and was now fighting off the Ubervamps again. One knocked him to the ground. Buffy ran over and quickly dusted the three that were attacking him. She helped him to his feet.

"Give it to me," he stated.

Buffy reached into her pocket, pulling out the amulet.

"Angel said it was meant to be worn by a champion with a soul. He said it was dangerous, something about it having cleansing power."

Spike looked hurt. She wasn't going to give it to him. He looked up and smiled when she put it in his hand.  He placed it around his neck. The two rushed back into battle.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            With Anya now dead, the group continued their onslaught. They weren't doing much good though. There were just too many Bringers to fight off. They were doing their best, but it just was not enough. 

            "Giles!" Xander shouted, "We're losing it!"

            "Keep fighting!" he yelled back, "We can't give up!"

           Xander swung the mace, sending a few Bringers flying backwards into the crowd. He was getting tired, they all were. 

            "Need a hand, guys?" someone asked.

            Xander glanced over to the hole in the ground. Angel pulled himself out of the Hellmouth. Angel stood tall and knocked away two Bringers.

            "What's happening down there?" Giles called, noticing Angel.

            "They're doing fine, but Buffy told me to return to LA to create a second front in case she fails," Angel replied, backhanding a Bringer, "Geez! There are a lot of these bastards."

            Angel tripped another and then lifted it off the ground. He tossed it into the army of them. He dodged their weapons easily and was fighting them off pretty well.

            "I guess I could stick around and help you guys out with these blind things," he said, knocking more back. 

The Hellmouth:

            Buffy staked several more Ubervamps. The scythe had proved to be a great weapon in this fight. She was thankful for finding it and thankful that Spike had found out that Caleb was hiding a weapon in the vineyard.

            She glanced around the cavern. The girls were holding their own. It was all because of Willow's spell. Spike and Willow were also doing well. Spike kept looking at the amulet after he killed an Ubervamp. He was trying to see if it was doing something, but it wasn't.

            Buffy noticed something out of the corner of her eye. She turned to face it. She saw the First in the form of herself, watching the fight. The First noticed Buffy watching it and instantly appeared in front of her.

            "Your troops are impressive," Buffy/The First said, "You've trained them well."

            "Wow! The First Evil is complimenting me," Buffy mocked, slicing the head off an Ubervamp.

            She jabbed the scythe into another one. It dusted. Then she swung it back, slicing the head off another.

            "It's a shame that you're troops are losing," Buffy informed.

            "I think that they need more morale, more support," Buffy/The First countered, "They need someone strong to lead them."

            Buffy/The First waved its arm in the air. Buffy was taken aback at what appeared between them on the ground. It was Caleb's body.

            "You slaughtered my strongest fighter," Buffy/The First said, "It's time he returns."

            Buffy certainly did not like the sound of that. She lifted the scythe and brought it down on Caleb's body, attempting to decapitate it. She hit a force field instead. The power of it knocked her to the ground. She glanced up to see what the First was doing.

            It was no longer in the form of her. It looked like a giant demon. The only thing different was that it couldn't attack her.

            "It's time I became corporeal," the First growled.

            The giant non-corporeal demon flew at Caleb's body. It passed right through the body. Buffy rose to her feet, the scythe in attack position. To her surprise, Caleb began to move. He slowly rose to his feet and turned to face Buffy.

            Buffy stepped back when she saw his eyes turn all black. She gripped the scythe tightly and prepared to swing it at Caleb's head.

            "Remember last year when that warlock came out of the seal?" Caleb questioned.

            Buffy didn't reply. She just stood there, ready to attack.

            "Well, I'm sure you do," Caleb went on, "Well just like this priest, Malvagio was a transport, someone for me to merge with. Yes, you did defeat it. But I left its body. You cannot defeat me."

            Buffy wasn't surprised at what the First had told her. She swung the scythe. Caleb caught it in mid-swing and shoved her backwards.

            "Caleb was weak without me," Caleb said, "That is what led him to his death. Now that I merged with his body, I can defeat you with my own hands."

            Buffy regained her senses and charged Caleb, the scythe raised. She swung it, but he easily stepped aside.

            "Do you actually think that thing can kill me?" Caleb asked, "It may have been able to kill him, but it won't kill me."

            Buffy did a series of swings and jabs, but none of them hit their mark. She was shocked. Caleb swung his fist and knocked her into the wall of the cavern. Spike saw what was going on and charge Caleb, knocking him to the ground. Then he rushed over to help Buffy up. Caleb slowly stood up.

            "Vampire, do you think you can defeat me?" he mocked.          

            Buffy opened her eyes and looked into Spike's. She smiled.

            "What happened?" Spike asked.

            "The First took over Caleb's dead body. Now it can hurt us," she replied.

            "Well, let's beat this thing together," he said, helping her to her feet.

TO BE CONTINUED


	24. The Chosen One: Part III

The Chosen One 

Episode 24 (Part III)

Buffy did a series of swings and jabs, but none of them hit their mark. She was shocked. Caleb swung his fist and knocked her into the wall of the cavern. Spike saw what was going on and charge Caleb, knocking him to the ground. Then he rushed over to help Buffy up. Caleb slowly stood up.

            "Vampire, do you think you can defeat me?" he mocked.          

            Buffy opened her eyes and looked into Spike's. She smiled.

            "What happened?" Spike asked.

            "The First took over Caleb's dead body. Now it can hurt us," she replied.

            "Well, let's beat this thing together," he said, helping her to her feet.

            Both Buffy and Spike charged Caleb. Spike dished out several punches and kicks, but few hit their target. Buffy swung the scythe but was backhanded aside. Spike picked up a Bringer's dagger and lunged at Caleb. He spun around and tore the knife from the vampire's hand. He knocked Spike back. Spike stood back up and kicked Caleb back. 

            Caleb stumbled backwards, but easily regained his senses. He gripped the dagger tightly and stabbed Spike in the gut. Spike shouted in pain and fell to the ground. Caleb lifted Spike into the air and tossed him aside.

            Buffy charged once again, this time with a roundhouse kick. He heard Caleb's jaw crack when her foot hit him. He gasped in pain but punched back. Buffy backed off then jump kicked him. The foot hit him in the chest, knocking him backwards. Buffy went to kick him again. This time, he caught her foot in mid-air and swung her around. She landed a few feet away on her back.

            Spike recovered from being stabbed and tackled Caleb to the ground. Caleb through Spike off and punched him in the face a few times. Spike vamped out and attacked again in a fury of punches and kicks. Caleb blocked each one and tossed the vampire aside. He then ran in to finish the job. He bent down and lifted Spike up off the ground.

            "I'm going to enjoy this," Caleb smirked, grasping Spike by the neck.

            Buffy took this as a great opportunity to attack. She quickly got to her feet and ran at Caleb. He was too busy dealing with Spike that he forgot about Buffy. She lifted the scythe back over her head. 

            "Hey!" Buffy called, "Forget about me?"

           That caught Caleb's attention. He dropped Spike on the ground and turned around. He came face to face with Buffy. She brought the scythe down on the top of his head. It connected, slicing Caleb clean in half. His two halves fell to the ground in a bloody mess.

            "So, you managed to beat me in another host body," Buffy/The First said.

            Buffy spun around and faced the First. It was once again in the form of her. 

            "Even though I do not have a host anymore, my army of vampires will destroy you," Buffy/The First told her.

            Spike suddenly was startled by a sudden jolt of pain.

            "Buffy?" Spike called, "Something's happening."

            She turned around and looked at him. The amulet around his neck was glowing.

            "Spike, what's going on?" she asked.

"I can feel it," Spike shouted, "I can feel my soul…it kind of stings."

            Suddenly, a huge column of light shot straight up through the cavern. It went up through the floors of the school and into the sky. It came from the amulet. The gang and the Ubervamps all stop fighting and watch in awe and horror at what just happened.

Sunnydale High Basement:

            The rest of the gang was still pushing back the large army of Bringers. Now that Angel had joined them, they were gaining the upper hand. Angel was still tossing Bringers this way and that. Giles and Xander swung their maces, sending Bringers flying. Wood and Andrew were hacking them with axes, and Jake continually shot crossbow bolts at them.

            Suddenly, a huge column of light shot up from the ground and straight up through the school and up to the sky. Sunlight began pouring down into the cavern below. 

            "I better get out of here!" Angel called, "You know, start creating that second front."

            He found a nearby tarp and threw it over his head and shoulders. He left the room running. That was the last that Giles and the gang saw of him.

            "What the hell was that?" Xander questioned.

            "I'm not sure, but it must have something to do with Buffy and the others," Giles replied.

The Hellmouth:

            Spike was in awe at what the amulet had done. Sunlight began pouring down on him. Surprising, he did not burn. Suddenly, large beams of light flew from the amulet and shot throughout the cavern. The light hit the Ubervamps and they dusted. 

            "Alright everyone get out!" Buffy shouted and dashed for the ramp out of the hole.

            She grabbed Spike by the arm and pulled him along. He was still in awe of what the amulet had done. The girls all dropped their weapons and also headed towards the ramp. Buffy, Willow, and Spike helped the girls up. Then Willow climbed up, followed by Buffy.

            The Ubervamps below began to panic and run in every direction. The First was indeed losing his army. His army had already failed. It stood there in the form of Buffy, glancing around to watch its army dust in the sunlight.

            "Giles, we gotta get out of here!" Buffy shouted as she climbed out of the hole. 

            Giles and Xander pulled her out. She was still holding the scythe.

            "The First's army is burning up down there," she informed.

            Suddenly, the whole building began to shake. The school was caving in. 

            "Get out, now!" Buffy shouted.

            "Buffy?" Spike called.

            Buffy spun to see that Spike was not behind her. She jumped back down into the Hellmouth. There was Spike, standing close to the ramp. The amulet was pinning him there. Beams of light from the amulet were still shining throughout the cavern.

            "We have to go, Buffy," Giles said, calling down into the Hellmouth, "everything is collapsing."

            "Get out of here!" she shouted, "I'll be there in a moment!"

           She rushed over to Spike's side. She dropped the scythe beside her. Spike turned his head and looked into her eyes. 

            "Come on, Spike, let's go!" she said pulling his arm, trying to get him move.

            "No Buffy, go! Get out of here!" he replied, pushing her away. 

            She didn't leave his side. The cavern was collapsing all around them. She took her hands and placed them on Spike's hand. She held it tightly. Then she leaned in and kissed him on the lips. Fire formed from their lips and hands, but neither moved away in pain.

            "I love you, Spike," she said, her hands still holding his.

            "No you don't, but thanks for saying it anyway" he replied, "Go on, get out of here!"

            Buffy let go of his hands and turned to run. She turned back and looked at him, lying against the seal. 

            "I love you, Spike," she called and disappeared from the cavern.

            "I gotta do this," he said, aloud, "I want to see how it ends."

            Spike stood there, grinning at all that was going on around him. The cavern was collapsing. Everything is crumbling. He begins to burst into flames. The light from the amulet is burning him up from the inside. He disintegrated into ashes, falling to the ground.

Outside the High School:

            The ground was shaking and buildings were collapsing all over town. The gang quickly escaped the collapsing high school.

            "Something big is happening!" Xander yelled over the noise of destruction.

            "We must leave town!" Giles called, coming out of the building.

            "Look a school bus," Andrew shouted.

            "What the hell is that going to do?" Faith questioned.

            "Help us to get out of here," Giles answered, "Let's go!"

            Giles, Wood, Xander, Jake, Andrew, Willow, Faith, and the remaining girls made a dash for the abandoned bus. The door was open, so they had no problem getting in. They all piled on and sat down. Jake sat down in the driver's seat. Luckily the keys had been left behind. He closed the door and started the school bus.

            "Wait!" Willow shouted.

            "What?" Wood questioned.

            "Where's Buffy?" Willow asked.

            "Oh my god, where is she?" Xander questioned.

            "She went back down into the Hellmouth. I told her that we were leaving. She said she would be there in a moment," Giles told them, "I thought she was right behind me."

            "We have to go back for her!" Faith shouted, running to the front. 

            "No!" Giles yelled, "It's too late! It's too dangerous!"

            "What?" Faith shouted in rage, "You're just gonna let her die down there!"

            "There's no time to go back after her," he told Faith, "Everything is collapsing."

            "I don't care!" Faith shouted, "That's Buffy down there! She saved all our lives numerous times and I'm not gonna let her die in all this!"

            She tried to run to the door, but Giles and Wood blocked her way.

            "Get the hell out of my way!" she shouted.

            "Faith, we're not gonna lose anyone else in this," Giles tried to comfort.

            "He's right," Wood agreed, "We're risked enough lives already. So sit back down and we'll get out of here."

            Faith had no choice but to listen. She sat back down, very angry with Giles. Jake pressed his foot on the gas pedal and the bus sped away from the school, heading towards the edge of town. The ground continued shaking. Kennedy and the girls were seated in the back, looking back down the road.

            "Oh my god!" Kennedy called, "It's caving in!"

            Everyone, but Jake turned around and looked out the back. They saw what was happening. Everything seemed to be caving in around the school, the Hellmouth.

Sunnydale High:

            Buffy emerged from the collapsing building. She had managed to get away safely, but was forced to leave Spike and the scythe behind. She looked all around, but could not find her friends. 

            The ground was shaking and she noticed that the town seemed to be collapsing all around her. That's when she noticed a school bus speeding away up the road. It had to be her friends. She took off, running down the road after it.

            The shaking became more intense as she ran. It was too much for her and she toppled over on her side. She glanced back at the high school.

            "Holy shit," she said aloud.

            The school was caving in. It was collapsing around the Hellmouth. The shaking had slowed down a bit. Buffy rose to her feet and continued chasing after the bus. She glanced back and saw that the rest of the town was caving in. Everything was caving in around the Hellmouth. 

            Everything was caving in at an alarming rate. Soon, the edge of destruction was only a few feet behind her. She couldn't run any faster, but kept it up. That's when the road beneath her feet began to crumble. She noticed a fire escape of a nearby building and dashed over to it. She climbed up and reached the roof of the building.

            She ran to the edge of the building and jumped over to the next. The street below was caving in and the buildings behind her were also. She pushed all her strength and was quickly hopping from building to building, still chasing the bus.

            Meanwhile in the bus, everyone watched in horror as the town was caving into the Hellmouth. The girls were all panicking, saying they weren't going to get away in time. Jake was now flooring it, trying to get away as fast as possible.

            Willow sat in the very last seat, peering out the window. She knew her best friend was dead now. She had let her die. She had failed Buffy. Tears began to form in her eyes. That's when she happened to glance up towards the buildings. She noticed something jumping from building to building, like they were trying to catch up with the bus. Then she realized who it was.

            "Stop the bus!" Willow shouted, rising to her feet.

            "No way!" Jake shouted, "We're all getting out of here alive."

            "What's wrong, Will?" Xander asked, coming to her side.

            "It's Buffy!" she exclaimed, "She's chasing after us!"

            "What?" Xander questioned, peering out the window.

            That's when he saw her too. She was jumping from building to building. It was apparent that she was trying to catch up to the bus.

            "You have to stop!" Xander shouted, "Buffy is trying to catch up!"

            "We can't stop, Xander," Giles informed, "Do you all want to end up dead?"

            Xander didn't answer that questioned. But Faith, unable to control her rage, stood up.

            "You're an asshole!" she shouted towards Giles, "The girl you love like your own daughter is trying to catch up and you won't even stop the bus and let her. You're gonna let her die?"

            "Sit back down, Faith," Giles told her, "I'd rather risk one life than risk everyone's."

            "You know what!" Faith shouted in anger, "You deserve to die!"

            She swung her fist, hitting Giles across the jaw. He winced in pain. Wood had had enough of this. He rose to his feet and came up behind Faith. He hit her in the head with the fire extinguisher. She dropped to the ground, out cold.

            "Thank you," Giles said, rubbing his jaw.

            "What the hell is your problem?" Xander shouted, coming up to Wood, "Why'd you just do that?"

            "I had to do something before she killed Mr. Giles there," Wood replied.

            "You know what, you're both…," Xander was cut short by Giles.

            "Sit back down, Xander!" Giles shouted, "You have no reason to be up."

            "I can't believe you are going to let her die. I'm ashamed of you, Giles. I followed you all those years, I trusted you. And now you're going to let Buffy die back there?" Xander shouted.

            "Bloody hell that is enough of this nonsense!" Giles shouted in anger, "Sit down, Xander!"

            Xander sat down. He was obviously furious with Wood and Giles. No one else spoke up for fear of what would happen to them.

           Meanwhile, Buffy was still hopping from roof to roof, trying to catch up to her friends. Her efforts were proving futile. The bus was now going faster. Fear began to sweep into her mind. Do her friends think she's dead? Is that why they weren't slowing down?

            She was beginning to get very tired and was running short on breath. She had to stop. She couldn't go on running like this anymore. She stopped to catch her breath. Luckily, the rate that the town was collapsing had slowed a bit. She glanced around on the street below. She noticed a deserted car, parked in the street below. She knew how she could catch up now.

            She jumped down and ran towards the car. Fortunately for her, the car was unlocked and the keys were still in the ignition. She sat down in the driver's seat and turned the keys. The car started. She pushed the pedal and was soon driving along the deserted street. 

            Soon she was flooring it. The bus came back into view and she sped up. When she was about a hundred feet away, a building collapsed in the middle of the street, blocking the road.

            She honked the horn and cursed under her breath. She looked in the mirror. The town was caving in more quickly again. She noticed a side street and few feet behind her and backed the car up. She took a left and sped off in that direction. The question now was could she escape in time?

Sunnydale Town Limits:

            The gang had finally reached the limits of Sunnydale. Jake crossed the city boundary and stopped the bus. They gang all stood up and got off the bus. The glanced back at the place that was once their home.

            The whole town had collapsed into the Hellmouth. It was now a giant crater. There was not a single trace left of Sunnydale. They had done it! They had beaten the First Evil! They had closed the Hellmouth!

            "We did it," Andrew cheered, "We won!"

            "Yes, we did," Giles replied, taking off his glasses and wiping them on his shirt. 

            "But not with a great cost," Willow put in, "Our friend, our guardian."

            Faith did not say a thing. She just stood at the edge of the crater that was once Sunnydale. She was pissed at Rupert Giles and Robin Wood. They had let Buffy die. She was the only slayer.

            Willow's spell had worn off and all the potentials were back to their normal self again. Willow's hair was once again its normal red color. Willow was also upset with Giles and Wood. She had lost her best friend. 

            Xander was furious. First he had lost his ex-girlfriend, then his best friend. Even though Buffy had caused him to lose an eye, he still loved her. She was still his friend, but now she was dead. He was angry at Giles for letting Buffy die.

            The gang filed back into the bus. The remaining potentials all breathed a sigh of relief. It was over, it was finally over. Jake started the bus and they sped off for Los Angles. Giles knew that Angel had to be informed of Buffy's death. Angel would be pissed that they let her die, but he'd get over it.

Outside Sunnydale:

            Buffy had managed to escape the collapsing town in one piece. She reached the edge of town just as it caved in. She got out of the car and looked around at the place that she once called her home.

            Sunnydale had collapsed into the Hellmouth. All that was left was a giant crater. The Hellmouth had been closed and the First Evil had been defeated. Of course none of this happened without a great cost. Spike had been killed in the collapsing town. Her friends had left her and now she was all alone. 

            She was happy. She had saved the world once again. She had saved the potentials and all her friends. But she couldn't help but feel sad. She was alone. She had no one now. She had no idea what to do. She could start over. It would be hard, but she could try. 

            Buffy Summers had done it. She had once again risked her life saving the world. Of course, she could not have done it without the help of her trusted friends. Thus ends another chapter in the life of Buffy Anne Summers, the Vampire Slayer.


End file.
